Alabama softball coach Patrick Murphy is eager to see the Crimson Tide take the football field on Saturday to kick off the 2025 season. Murphy joined Hey Coach on Wednesday, where he discussed his excitement to watch Kalen DeBoer in his second year in Tuscaloosa. From the glimpses he’s seen of practice, the signs of […]
Alabama softball coach Patrick Murphy is eager to see the Crimson Tide take the football field on Saturday to kick off the 2025 season. Murphy joined Hey Coach on Wednesday, where he discussed his excitement to watch Kalen DeBoer in his second year in Tuscaloosa.
From the glimpses he’s seen of practice, the signs of a special team are there. He described why, as a coach, he believes the Crimson Tide are in for a big year.
“How can you not love Kalen DeBoer?” Murphy said. “Humble, no ego, friendly, just a great guy. Knows his stuff. …I have a really good feeling about this team. I feel like the leadership is there. What they’re saying, how they’re saying it. As a coach, you watch that. …I just have this good feeling about togetherness. They collaborate well. I think it’s gonna be fun. I can’t wait for Saturday.”
Patrick Murphy has been the softball coach at Alabama since the 1999 season. However, his roots are in Iowa where he grew up and also attended Northern Iowa.
He found out upon meeting first-year Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb earlier this year that Grubb was also from Iowa. Not only that, but the two bothgrew up in towns of less than 1,000 people. Not only that, but that each knew a friend of a friend.
“We had a staff meeting maybe in January, February and everybody in the athletic department was there,” Murphy said. “I turned around and I said, ‘Is Ryan Grubb here?’ Somebody said, ‘Yeah, he’s here. He’s probably in his office already.’ So, my assistant coach and I ran to his office before he got going on his day and I went in and I probably surprised him or scared him. I said, ‘Hey, I just wanted to say hi. Welcome to Alabama.’ We started talking and, believe it or not, he is from a smaller town in Iowa than I am. I’m from Fayette, Iowa, population 964. Coach Grubb is from Kingsley, Iowa, which is probably about 800.
“And one of his best friends in high school was the brother of one of my best friends at Northern Iowa. So very small world. And if you’re from Iowa, it’s six degrees of separation. You’re gonna know somebody that knows somebody that knows you. Just a great guy and we’re really, really glad that he’s here.”
That in mind, Murphy will be just a little bit more invested when the Crimson Tide kick off the season. Alabama plays Florida State at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday in Tallahassee.
Category: General Sports
