William Murphy

Who was William Murphy?

William E. "Bill" Murphy was an American championship tennis player and coach. In 1938 and 1939, Murphy and his twin brother, Chet, won consecutive Big Ten Conference doubles championships while competing for the University of Chicago. Murphy also won a 1939 singles title at the Western Tennis Association tournament in Chicago. He earned a Masters Degree in Physical Education from George Williams college in Chicago in 1941. He was a war hero in World War II as a dive bomber pilot in the Pacific, helping sink the Battleship Yamato. In 1948, he became the coach of the University of Michigan tennis team, where he remained for 21 years until 1969. He led Michigan to eleven Big Ten team championships and the NCAA team championship in 1957.