MISSOULA — Missoula Big Sky has its next head boys basketball coach.
Big Sky athletic director Sabrina Beed announced on Tuesday that assistant coach Zach Murphy has been promoted to head coach of the Eagles program. Murphy spent the past two seasons as an assistant under previous head coach Ryan Hansen.
Murphy, a Missoula native and 2011 Sentinel High graduate, was an assistant for the Spartan program under former Sentinel coach Jay Jagelski for four seasons prior to his time with Big Sky. He takes over Big Sky's program after Hansen led the Eagles the past three seasons.
Murphy teaches science at Big Sky and got his undergrad degree in health and human development with a specialty in exercise science at Montana State. After beginning his coaching career under Jagelski, Murphy got a masters in education from the University of Montana.
In his two seasons as an assistant at Big Sky, Murphy was the sophomore coach two years ago and the junior varsity coach last season. He takes over an Eagles program that went 14-11 last year and finished third at the State AA basketball tournament.
"I feel very fortunate and am extremely grateful for this opportunity to work with both the players and the community of Big Sky in this position," Murphy told MTN Sports. "I'm excited to continue to build on the culture and work that coach Hansen has developed over the past three years. I am appreciative for all of the coaches and players, both past and present, that have guided and supported me to this point in my career."
