Andy Murray was announced as the sixth head coach in the history of the Western Michigan men’s ice hockey program on July 26, 2011 and enters his ninth season at the helm.
In 2018-19 the Broncos eclipsed the 20 win mark for the third time under head coach Andy Murray. WMU captured the Ice Vegas Invitational title after defeating UCONN and Air Force. WMU spent the majority of the season in the nation’s top 20 and finished in third place in the NCHC standings, earning home ice for the NCHC Quarterfinals. The Broncos were upset in the playoffs and finished just shy of making the NCAA Tournament from an at-large berth. WMU’s academic success under Murray continued, with 21 earning Academic All-Conference selections.
In 2017-18 the Broncos got off to a hot start but injuries to key players derailed the second half of the season. The academic success established under Murray continued, though. Western Michigan led the NCHC with 24 total Academic All-Conference selections, while also leading the conference in NCHC Distinguish Scholar Athletes with 12. Senior Scott Moldenhauer was also named a finalist for NCHC Scholar Athlete of the Year.
The Broncos rebounded from a difficult season to have one of the best in program history in 2016-17. Murray, the 2016-17 Herb Brooks NCHC Coach of the Year, led WMU to a 22-13-5 overall record and 13-9-2 in the NCHC. The Broncos finished in third place in the NCHC and secured home ice advantage in the playoffs for the first time in program history since the league started in 2013. Western Michigan made it to the NCHC Semifinals and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament against Air Force. Although the Broncos fell to the Falcons, WMU set a new program standard with four goals in the East Regional Semifinal game. Senior captain Sheldon Dries was named Second Team All-NCHC, the second selection in program history. Freshman goalie Ben Blacker was named to the NCHC All-Rookie team and won the NCHC Three Stars Award. More Broncos continued to make it on to pro hockey under Murray with Matheson Iacopelli signing with the Chicago Blackhawks and Griffen Molino signing with the Vancouver Canucks. Molino made his NHL debut with the Canucks prior to the end of the 2016-17 NHL regular season. Academic success, a mainstay under Murray, continued as well. Senior Aaron Hadley received the NCHC Post-Graduate Scholarship and 16 players were named Academic All-NCHC.
In 2015-16, under Murray, Western Michigan led the NCHC in All-Academic selections with 21 Broncos earning the honors on the season. WMU brought in an exciting freshmen class led by leading-scorer Griffen Molino. Molino led the team with 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points in his first season.
2014-15 saw the Broncos have a successful non-conference season in which the team went 7-3-0 and won Notre Dame’s Shillelagh Tournament after wins over Ohio State and Union. Alum Jordan Oesterle became the fifth WMU defenseman since 2013 to make his NHL debut. Junior Kenney Morrison signed with the Calgary Flames and Colton Hargrove signed with the Boston Bruins, putting two more Murray products in the pro rank.
In the team’s first season in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, Murray helped guide the team to a tie for fourth place with Minnesota-Duluth. The Broncos then upset the Bulldogs to earn a spot in the NCHC Semifinals, ultimately falling to Denver. Senior Chase Balisy was named Second Team All-NCHC and finished third in the league in scoring. Every member of the senior class went on to sign pro hockey contracts and Jordan Oesterle also signed with the Edmonton Oilers.
Murray guided the Broncos through a successful 2012-13 that saw Western Michigan spend the entire season ranked in the nation’s top 15 and finish third in the CCHA regular season. Under his guise, WMU also had one of the toughest defenses in the nation, finishing the regular season with the fifth lowest goals-against average in the country. Western Michigan only allowed 78 goals through the regular and post-season to finish the campaign with a new program record. With the success of the defense, WMU’s Danny DeKeyser was once again named CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman and was also named a Second Team All-American. DeKeyser immediately made the jump to the NHL after playing under Murray, signing with the Detroit Red Wings and helping them to a playoff berth.
In just his first year with the program, Murray led WMU to the program’s second CCHA Tournament Championship after the Broncos defeated Michigan, 3-2, in the CCHA Final. The 2011-12 team first season with a record of 21-14-6 along with a 14-10-4 conference record and a second-place finish during the CCHA regular season. The 21 wins marked the first time the Broncos broke the 20-win barrier since 1996. Also coached WMU to its second-straight, and fifth overall, NCAA Tournament appearance, marking the first time the Broncos have made the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons.
Under his tutelage, defenseman Dan DeKeyser was named Second Team All-CCHA, the CCHA’s Best Defensive Defenseman and Second Team All-American. Fellow defenseman Matt Tennyson was also named Second Team All-CCHA. Freshman Frank Slubowski was named the CCHA Tournament MVP , becoming the second Bronco goalie to earn the honors.
Murray came to WMU with an extensive resume earned at the highest level of professional hockey. He is one of only 39 coaches in NHL history to reach 300 wins with a career record of 333-278-58-71. Murray has 10 years of NHL head coaching experience, spending six seasons at the helm of the Los Angeles Kings and four with the St. Louis Blues. Murray is the Kings’ All-Time franchise leader in wins with 215 and led Los Angeles to three 90-point seasons in his tenure. During the 2008-09 season with St. Louis he was a finalist for the Jack Adams Coach of the Year Award after guiding the Blues to a third place finish in the Central Division.
Murray has spent a total of 20 years as either a head or assistant coach in the NHL. He held assistant coaching positions with the Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota North Stars and Philadelphia Flyers. While he has not coached in college hockey in the United States he did coach at Brandon University, a Canadian college, for three seasons. In his short time he was able to turn Brandon into the top ranked program in all of Canadian college hockey.
To go with his extensive professional coaching background, Murray also brings international experience. He coached Team Canada to gold medals at the 2007, 2003 and 1997 World Hockey Championships. He is the only Canadian coach in history to win three World Championships and he also held the highest winning percentage as a coach (64-percent) in the history of the Canadian Men’s National Team. He also holds six Spengler Cup Titles (an annual tournament in Switzerland) for Team Canada, a record for the country. Murray was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame as a part of the 2012 class for his part in his three World Championship’s with Team Canada. Murray was also a head coach in Europe, coaching three Swiss professional teams (EV Zug, Zurcher Schlittschuh, and EHC Kloten) and a German team, EHC Berlin, in the early 80’s and early 90’s.
A native of Souris, Manitoba, Murray and his wife, Ruth, have three children, all of which played professional hockey in Switzerland. His youngest son Jordy played for the University of Wisconsin and his oldest son Brady played for North Dakota. His daughter Sarah played Division I college hockey at Minnesota-Duluth, where she was a part of two National Championship teams. She later went on to coach Korea in the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Murray’s Coaching Accomplishments
• 2017 NCHC Coach of the Year
• Coached WMU To NCAA Tournaments in 2012 and 2017
• 2013 Great Lakes Invitational Championship
• 2012 CCHA Tournament Championship
• Head coach of the St. Louis Blues 2006-10
• Head coach of the Los Angeles Kings 1999-2006
• Associate head coach of the Winnipeg Jets 1993-95
• Assistant coach of the Minnesota North Stars 1990-92
• Head coach EHC Berlin (Germany) 1993
• Head coach EV Zug (Swiss A Division) 1986-88
• Head coach Zurcher Schlittschuh (Swiss A Division) 1984-86
• Head coach EHC Kloten (Swiss A Division) 1981-84
• Over three decades of professional and international coaching experience.
• 10 seasons and 333 wins as a head coach in the NHL.
• One of 39 coaches in NHL history to reach 300 wins.
• 2009 NHL Coach of the Year Finalist.
• Second all-time in Los Angeles Kings franchise history in career wins with 215.
• Only Canadian coach to ever win three IIHF World Championships with Canada (2007, 2003, 1997).
• Stanley Cup Finals appearance as an assistant coach with the Minnesota North Stars (1991).
• Coached Canadian school Brandon College to a No. 1 ranking in just three seasons at the helm.
• Won a record six Spengler Cups with Team Canada
