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Dr. John Murphy resigned his position as boys basketball coach at Waynesville High School on Tuesday, April 29, after four seasons at the head of the Spartan program.

Murphy, whose teams won two Southwestern Buckeye League Buckeye Division championships and compiled a 48-38 record during his tenure, said the decision to leave was difficult, but did not rule out future coaching opportunities.

"It's time to move on," Murphy said. "I have some other opportunities to look at and for various reasons I decided to step down.

"This was a difficult decision because I have so much passion for the game. A lot of pain and prayer went into it. I had a great time at Waynesville, a good four years. I enjoyed the kids and the school system was very supportive."

Murphy ends an affiliation with Waynesville that has lasted over three decades. He has been the Spartans' team doctor in football since the mid-1970s, and was inducted into the Waynesville Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. He has coached basketball in the Dayton area for 20 years, including stints at Bellbrook, Stivers and Stebbins as well as Waynesville.

"This is a big loss for us," Waynesville athletic director Tim Gabbard said. "I was disappointed. Doc Murphy has done a great job in his time here and I would have liked to see him stay on but he had other commitments with his job. I'm going to miss him."

The Spartans will immediately begin a search for a new varsity coach. Gabbard said the job is open to all candidates, and resumes can be e-mailed to him at tgabbard@wayne.local.com.

"Hopefully, we'll get it wrapped up pretty quick because we have all of the summer camps and leagues that needs to be taken care of," Gabbard said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4526 or shayes@coxohio.com.

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