Hall of Fame
A member of the Varsity Blues football coaching staff when the team won the inaugural Vanier Cup title in 1965, Ron Murphy spent 17 seasons (1966-82) as head coach and is the Blues all-time leader in career coaching victories (93).
After high school, Ron was signed by the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger Cats and played on their 1953 Grey Cup championship team. He then attended McGill University where he played three seasons with the Redmen and later returned to become an assistant coach after four more years in the CFL with the Montreal Allouettes.
Under his guidance, the Blues won league titles in 1967 and 1974, and posted only one losing season. Ron was named the CIAU coach of the year in 1974, as the Blues were Vanier Cup finalists and set a U of T record for season victories (10) which stood until 1993. During his tenure, the Blues produced 13 CIAU all-Canadians and 110 Ontario all-stars.
After stepping down as head coach in 1983, Ron undertook several administrative challenges within U of T’s former Department of Athletics and Recreation, including administrator of the youth and development programs, intercollegiate supervisor, co-ordinator of the academic counselling program for intercollegiate athletes and advisor to the Blues curling teams.
Ron returned as an assistant coach from 1986-93, winning his second Vanier Cup in 1993. At the inaugural OUAA Football Legends dinner in 1993, he received the league’s prestigious John S. McManus Award in recognition of his coaching contributions to university sport. The following year, Ron received U of T’s Thomas L. Loudon Award, which is presented annually for outstanding services in the advancement of athletics.
