New Penn State head coach Tim Murphy is really going all over the map to assemble his new staff. He retained one assistant, Liz McMillan, who has been with the team for over half-a-decade.
He also added Doak Finch, a legend at UVA who was suddenly jobless but had been a Cavalier through-and-through until this year.
Next came Steve Barnes, who had been the head coach at Division III Wabash College in Indiana.
Now, Murphy has hired Sun Devil Aquatics’ head coach Patrick Nalley to join his staff, with his arrival expected later this week, according to several of his former Sun Devil athletes.
Nalley is a Cincinnati native, who swam for the famed Cincinnati Marlins and then Ft. Wayne Aquatics. Collegiately, he trained at the University of Kentucky, and started his coaching career in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
There, he began as an age group coach for the Falfins Swim Team, before being offered, and accepting, a head coaching role with the Colorado Rapids, and eventually as the head coach of Liberty High School in Colorado Springs.
He then leapt to Sun Devil Aquatics, where he coaches their highest level athletes, including the National Training Group, and is the program’s head coach.
None of Murphy’s new coaches have an obvious connection to his career, though surely there must be one. This is an increasing rarity as we see more-and-more coaches and programs lean heavily on alumni and former swimmers to fill out their staffs at the big programs (Arizona, Auburn, etc.)
Sounds like somebody is a bitter parent of a bad/mediocre swimmer…And what club was able to do this “unleashing”? I’m sure all of the swimmers and parents in the area would love to know!
Another step away from Colorado. Sad when he left us but happy for his success.
Congrats!!
Nalley will be missed tremendously by this SDA and AZ swimming as a whole. He is a coach that cares for the swimmers life as whole ontop of their individual swimming. His love for swimming and hard work in all aspects of life was shown through his coaching. The group he has left will continue the vision that SDA passionately pursues. Fun intense swimming.
Patrick is one of the most competent, caring, hard-working coaches in the industry. His style of coaching is well-suited for the collegiate level.He is also a Breaststroke mastermind; his own success in the stroke as a swimmer has seamlessly translated into specific, smart training. He left Sun Devil Aquatics with a revitalized culture, and a close family of swimmers. Penn State is incredibly fortunate to have in its arsenal such a valuable asset.
Penn State is lucky to have a guy like Patrick join the program. I swam with him throughout my high school career and during the summers of my collegiate career. He is hands down the best coach I’ve ever had the pleasure swimming for.
I think the connection probably goes through former Harvard Head Coach – and current Sun Devil President Mike Chasson