NOTRE DAME, Ind. — John and Cathy Murphy of Chicago, Illinois, have made a gift to the University of Notre Dame to endow the baseball head coach position. John is a 1985 Notre Dame graduate and former Fighting Irish baseball player.
“I want to thank John and Cathy for continuing to be incredible advocates for our University and our baseball program” said University Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick. “This program has not had a shortage of great educators come through Frank Eck Stadium to lead our student-athletes. From Jake Kline to Pat Murphy to Paul Mainieri and now Link Jarrett, our student-athletes and program continue to flourish and the Murphy’s gift will only solidify that.”
The Murphy’s commitment will help underwrite the salary of the coach, provide stability and resources for the long term and create funds for use within the athletics department. Link Jarrett, who is in his second season at Notre Dame, will become the first John P. and Catherine Murphy Head Baseball Coach. Jarrett was named the 2021 ACC Coach of the Year after guiding the Fighting Irish to the league’s Atlantic Division title and top seed in the ACC Championship. Notre Dame is the No. 10 seed for the upcoming NCAA Championship.
“John and Cathy’s unwavering vision to see our program grow, while providing the best possible atmosphere for our players, is obviously in the forefront of their mind,” said Jarrett. “Endowment of our head coach position represents amazing commitment and pride in the concepts we represent within the program. Their gift will assist our program in continuing to evolve, which is essential in the progressive world of the ACC. The timing of the gift is exceptional, and our entire program thanks the Murphy’s tremendously for their ongoing support of Notre Dame Baseball.”
Murphy is global chief operating officer of AVI-SPL, Inc., a multi-office provider of collaboration and audio video technologies, and managed AV services to businesses and organizations. He graduated from Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering, and later earned a Master of Science degree in chemical engineering from Northwestern University. He also holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. Cathy graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and math from the University of Iowa. The couple has two children. Jennifer Murphy Galinski graduated from Notre Dame in ’08 with a degree in marketing, and son Jack played baseball and graduated from North Park University.
John and Cathy are longtime supporters of Notre Dame Athletics. Thanks to their generosity, the baseball program enjoys the John P. Murphy Family Team Room at Frank Eck Stadium. The addition of the Fighting Irish clubhouse, which opened in 2017, features a study area, nutrition bar and lounge space. Additionally, the Murphys are members of the Rockne Athletics Fund’s Jesse Harper Council.
“We are excited to recognize the tremendous impact Coach Jarrett has had on the program,” said John Murphy. “His vision, leadership and incredible development of the baseball student-athletes on the field and in the classroom is in keeping with the great Notre Dame tradition of academic and athletic excellence. We are incredibly excited about the future of the program, and endowing the head coaching position will help ensure great continuity for current and future team members.”
–ND–