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Alabama

Former Creighton assistant Preston Murphy hired as 'special assistant' at Alabama

PeterWarrenPhoto2by:Peter Warren•07/03/23•

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Nate Oats, Alabama Crimson Tide basketball coach
Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats looks onto the court during a Sweet 16 game against San Diego State on March 24, 2023. (Rob Carr / Getty Images)

Nate Oats and Alabama have hired former Creighton and Boston College assistant Preston Murphy as a special assistant to the head coach, which is a role that will include helping on-campus coaching and recruiting.

This Murphy’s first job after the NCAA gave him a two-year show-cause penalty in June 2021 for accepting improper payments. He had resigned from the Bluejays in November 2019.

“I’m pleased to be completing our basketball staff with the addition of Coach Murphy. He was a highly sought-after candidate, and we were fortunate he was most interested in joining our program,” Oats said in a statement. “I have known Preston for a long time, and I am excited about the many ways he can add tremendous value to what we do. I am always impressed with his energy, his humility, and his basketball acumen. His insight, experience and ability to connect with student-athletes will be a significant advantage for us.”

“Additionally, Preston is a great person who is highly-regarded throughout the college basketball community. We have every expectation his hire will contribute to the continued success and high benchmarks of Alabama basketball.”

The penalty was the result a July 2017 incident alleged in an FBI inditement. Murphy was accused of “accepting a $6,000 payment from an undercover FBI agent in a meeting with Christian Dawkins, his friend and one of the people at the center of the FBI’s probe. During that July 2017 meeting in a Las Vegas hotel room, Murphy allegedly agreed to steer players to Dawkins’ management company…Murphy’s lawyers had argued that he returned the money after the meeting,” ESPN reported two years ago.

Preston Murphy has over a decade of working at the college level

Preston Murphy attended Rhode Island, where he later coached from 2010-14. He was the director of operations for Boston College from 2006-2010 before returning for one season as an assistant for the 2014-15 season.

He moved to Omaha to work for Creighton in 2015.

Murphy is the third assistant coach hired by Oats this offseason after Charlie Henry, Bryan Hodgson and Antoine Pettway were all hired as head coaches. Oats has also hired Austin Claunch and Ryan Pannone this offseason.

“It’s a privilege to join Alabama Athletics and become a part of the great Crimson Tide tradition — it’s an honor I will work every day to deserve,” Murphy said in a statement. “I appreciate the trust Coach Oats, Greg Byrne and the University have put in me, and I look forward to serving this institution and adding to its long history of success.”