Edward Murphy – Athlete/Builder

Inducted November 2, 2002

Ed Murphy had his first introduction to basketball when he was a student at Holy Cross School in St. John’s. Under the guidance of Coach Brother Cassidy, Ed’s Holy Cross team won the Provincial High School Basketball Championship defeating the powerful American team from Goose Bay. During that tournament Ed was named to the First All-Star Team.

While a student at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Ed played on the Senior Varsity team for five years. At MUN, Ed was greatly influenced by coaches Ed Browne and Bill Redden. The highlight of his playing career came in his last game for MUN when the Senior Varsity Team beat the Argentia Seals to win the Provincial Senior Championship. This was the first time that a MUN team had beaten the powerful Argentia team in the Provincial Championships.

In 1967, Ed was selected to the basketball team that represented the province at the first Canada Winter Games in Quebec City. While a student at MUN, Ed began his coaching career as coach of the Reddy Kilowatts team in the St. John’s Ladies League. In 1971 he coached the provincial ladies team that participated at the Canada Winter Games in Saskatoon.

Following graduation from Memorial University, Ed founded and was playing coach of the powerful City Furniture Basketball Team which dominated provincial basketball during the 1970’s, winning numerous city and provincial championships.

In 1975 and 1976, while working as a Chartered Accountant in Marystown, Ed and a group of basketball enthusiasts formed the Marystown Basketball League. The Marystown All-Stars won the Provincial “C” and “B” titles and then challenged for the “A” Championship title.

Throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s Ed coached many provincial men’s teams which represented the Province at national championships. However, some of Ed’s most enjoyable times were those spent coaching his sons, Joey and Jeff, at MacDonald Drive Junior High and Booth Memorial High School.

Ed’s career in the administration of basketball started in the early 1970’s when he became President of the St John’s Basketball League. In the mid-seventies Ed became involved with the provincial association where he held several positions before becoming President in the late seventies. In the mid eighties, Ed became involved in Basketball Canada where he held several positions before becoming its President in 1990. The highlight of his career at the national level was heading Basketball Canada’s Bid Team to Munich, Germany where Canada was awarded the 1994 World Championships for Toronto.

Under Ed’s leadership in 1980, Basketball Newfoundland and Labrador established a provincial Basketball Sports Hall of Fame and in 1983 Ed was selected as Sport Newfoundland and Labrador’s Executive of the Year. In June 1993, Ed was one of ten Newfoundland and Labrador sport volunteers honoured when he received a Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada in recognition of his outstanding work for sport. Ed is a member of the St. John’s Basketball League’s Hall of Fame and in 2000 he was elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador Basketball Hall of Fame.

Ed is employed with the Penney Group of Companies and resides with his family in St. John’s.