Jon Murray
	Position: Assistant Coach/ Head Cross Country Coach Experience: Seventh Season E-Mail: jonathan.murray@ttu.edu

Head Cross Country Coach

For the third-straight year the Lady Raiders cross country team brought home a Big 12 title. Tech is only the second school in Big 12 history to win three-straight titles. Tech than kept the success going as it finished a program-best third place at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. The track season was a successful one especially during indoors. Murray's distance crew one three Big 12 Indoor titles and the distance medley relay was the first group to earn All-American honors in that event. Caroline Karunde earned All-American status in the mile while Gilbert Limo became the first Red Raider to earn All-America honors in the 3,000m steeplechase.

The 2009 season for Murray was one of his best at Texas Tech. Sally Kipyego won her ninth NCAA title in the indoor 5000M becoming only the second female in NCAA history to win nine individual titles. The success was shared at the Big 12 Indoor Championships as the distance medley relay and Lillian Badaru brought home titles. Kipyego became the most decorated athlete in the Big 12 as she won her 14th Big 12 title.

The cross country squad continued a banner year for Murray as it successfully defended its Big 12 title and finished its best ever at the national meet. The fourth place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships marks the first time the program has brought back a trophy.

During the 2008 season new heights were reached by Murray's cross country and track runners. The 2008 women's cross country squad won the program's first Big 12 and Mountain Regional Championship. He coached Sally Kipyego to her third-straight NCAA, Mountain Regional and Big 12 Champion. She also was honored for the third-straight time as the Honda Award winner for cross country. Lillian Badaru earned her first All-American honor during the season for cross country as well.

During the 2008 track season he coached Kipyego to the 5,000m NCAA Indoor championship, 5,000M NCAA Outdoor championship and All-American honors in the 1500M. He guided Irene Kimayio to a Big 12 Championship in the 3K steeplechase and All-American honors as well. Gilbert Limo was a national qualifier in the 3K steeplechase as was Gladys Kipsang in the 800M.

Murray came to Tech after spending 14 years as head coach of the Abilene Christian cross country program, five years as the head track & field coach and nine years as the assistant track and field coach. Track and field coach, Wes Kittley was responsible for hiring Murray for the ACU staff during his tenure as head coach. In his five years as head coach for men's and women's track and field at ACU, (2000 and 2002-05 seasons), Murray coached the Wildcats to 11 NCAA Division II national championships and eight Lone Star Conference championships. His Wildcat men's squad was undefeated in 10 NCAA Division II indoor and outdoor national meets, and his women's team won the indoor title in 2000.

In cross country, Murray's Wildcats were undefeated in LSC men's cross country with 14 straight titles, and the women's team won the league crown in 10 of the 14 seasons (giving him a total of 32 league titles as a head coach). Both men's and women's teams finished as high as second in the nation in NCAA Division II cross country. While he was serving as head cross country coach at ACU, Murray was also assistant coach for the track and field in 1992-99 and 2001 seasons. During that time, the Wildcats won 21 NCAA Division II national titles (seven women's indoor, five women's outdoor, six men's indoor and three men's outdoor on Kittley's staff). He has been Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year in men's and women's cross country and men's track and field and president of the NCAA Division II Cross Country Coaches Association. As a head coach, four of his Wildcat track and field student-athletes won prestigious NCAA postgraduate scholarships.

In 2005, he was honored as NCAA Division II Coach of the Year for men in both indoor and outdoor track and field after his Wildcats extended their winning streak in championship meets to eight. Under Murray, the Wildcats won both indoor and outdoor titles in 2002-03-04-05 - a streak matched only once previously in NCAA Division II history.

Murray's cross country teams won 24 Lone Star Conference championships (men from 1991-04 and women in 1991, 1993-97 and 2001-04). He also has been named LSC cross country Coach of the Year 24 times.

His 1993, 1996 and 1998-2004 men's cross country teams finished in the NCAA Division II top 10. The 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 squads both won NCAA South Central region championships and then went on to finish second at the national championship meet. The women's best-ever finish came in 1995 when they finished second at the NCAA Division II national cross country meet.

He and his wife, Samantha, were married in the summer of 2000 and have five children: Jonah, Gracie, Nathan, Jacob and Jonathan.