Baseball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- jfmurray@liberty.edu
In his seventh at Liberty, Jason Murray serves as an assistant coach and the team's recruiting coordinator. He provides infield instruction, assists with hitting instruction and serves as the team's third base coach during games.
Murray is no stranger in Big South Conference baseball circles, having also served two assistant coaching stints at Winthrop and leading the Charleston Southern program as its head coach for four years from 2005-08.
This past season, Murray saw the culmination of Alex Close’s career as one of the most decorated hitters in program history. A four-year starter, the first baseman/pitcher was named to the 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-America team, as well as a Big South Conference first team and ECAC All-Star team member for the second consecutive season.
Close finished his Liberty career third in career hits (255) and fourth in home runs (33) and RBIs (166) in program history.
In June, Close and outfielder/pitcher Ashton Perritt, both who came back to Liberty after being selected the previous year, were chosen in the 2015 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. Close was again selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 26th round, while Perritt was taken in the 24th round by the Texas Rangers.
Murray helped the Flames capture the Big South regular season title with a 23-3 record and garner the program’s first ever at-large selection to a NCAA Regional in 2014. The Flames finished the year at 41-18, their third 40-plus win season during Murray’s six years at Liberty.
In addition, the Flames were ranked in one of the four major baseball polls during the regular season for the first time in program history, reaching as high as No. 21 in the Baseball America weekly poll on March 21. Liberty’s 23 Big South victories were also the most in school history. The Flames won 20 consecutive conference games during the season.
At year’s end, Liberty became the first team in Big South history to sweep the major conference awards. Second baseman Ryan Seiz, who was selected the Big South Player of the Year and first baseman Close, shortstop Dalton Britt and catcher Danny Grauer, who all earned all-conference honors, received instruction from Murray.
Also, Seiz became the first Liberty player to be named to three All-American teams. Close and pitcher Trey Lambert became the first two Liberty players to be selected to the Capital One Academic All-American first team.
In June, Murray saw Seiz and Close drafted in the 2014 Major League Baseball Draft. Seiz was selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the 17th round, while Close was taken by the Kansas City Royals in the 23rd round.
In 2013, Murray helped guide the Flames to their first NCAA Regional final appearance in program history and their first Big South Championship since 2000. Liberty won five straight games to capture the 2013 Big South Championship and gain a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Columbia, S.C. Regional, the highest seed for a Liberty team in school history.
The Flames posted a .972 fielding percentage in 2013, three points lower than the school record set the year before. Murray had a hand in that production, tutoring freshmen infielders Jake Kimble at third base and Dalton Britt at shortstop.
In addition, Murray helped in the development of two-way standout Ashton Perritt in 2013. Perritt hit .343, scored 34 runs and stole 18 bases after taking over the leadoff position in the Liberty batting order a quarter of the way through the season. The sophomore outfielder proved to be one of the key catalysts in the Flames’ Big South title run, earning tournament MVP honors.
Big South first team catcher Trey Wimmer and outfielder Ryan Cordell were two of Liberty’s four 2013 Major Baseball Draft selections, who received direction from Murray.
In two of his first three years on the Flames staff, Liberty won 40 or more games in season. In 2012, the Flames posted a 41-19 record, as Murray’s fielders set a program record with a .975 fielding percentage. Liberty committed 53 errors and turned 60 double plays in 60 games.
Meanwhile, under Murray’s guidance first baseman Alex Close was named a 2012 Freshman All-America and the Big South Freshman of the Year, while setting a new conference freshman season record with 14 home runs.
During the 2011 season, Murray assisted in helping Liberty hitters make an adjustment to the new BBCOR bats. Infielders Tyler Bream and Matt Williams and catcher Casey Rasmus were three of the program and conference record seven Flames selected in the 2011 Major League Draft, who received guidance from Murray.
Liberty hitters and infielders put together strong campaigns with Murray's assistance in his first year on the Flames staff. Liberty posted a school-record 43 wins, hitting .318 and scoring 691 runs, the second-best total in each category over the past 16 years. Third baseman Tyler Bream set the school record with 96 hits during the season, while second baseman P.J. Jimenez and outfielder Curran Redal, also recorded at 90 hits each during the year.
In addition, the Flames recorded a .971 fielding percentage, the best in the Big South Conference, and turned 62 double plays, finishing the year 19th nationally in the category.
Before coming to Liberty, Murray served as an assistant coach for the second time under Joe Hudak at Winthrop in 2009. He assisted with positional player development for the Eagles, who recorded a 35-25 overall mark and finished in second place in the Big South standings with an 18-9 mark. He saw two players under his guidance, John Murrian (Detrioit Tigers) and Kevin Nolan (Toronto Blue Jays), chosen in the 2009 MLB Draft and sign professional contracts. Murray also assisted with on-campus recruiting, player academic progress and field maintenance and was director of the team's youth hitting school.
From 2005-08, Murray was the head coach at Charleston Southern, where he recorded the fourth highest win total in school history with an 82-136 mark. In his four years at the school, Murray led the Buccaneers to several accomplishments both on and off the field. On the field, three players were selected Freshmen All-Americans, six were named all-conference players and one received conference academic team honors. Off the field, he saw his team record a 3.0 GPA for the first time in eight years in 2006 and receive the athletic department's 2007 and 2008 Athletic Team Community Service Award.
During the 2008 season, Murray's Buccaneers hit .297, the highest batting average by a Charleston Southern team in 13 years. In addition, pitcher Payton Tweddale became the program's career and single season saves leader and outfielder Justin Fyle became the school's single season hits leader.
In his first season with the Buccaneers in 2005, the pitching staff had its lowest ERA in five years. The staff included pitcher Bobby Parnell, who currently plays for the New York Mets.
Murray was an assistant coach at Michigan under head coach Rich Maloney from 2003-04, serving as the program's recruiting coordinator and coaching the outfielders. In each of his two seasons in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines posted 30 or more wins. Three players under his guidance, Jake Fox (Chicago Cubs), J.D. Roberts (Cincinnati Reds) and Chris Getz (Chicago White Sox) were selected in the MLB Draft. Fox, an All-American in 2004, played in the majors for the Chicago Cubs, Oakland A’s and Baltimore Orioles. Getz currently plays second base for the Kansas City Royals.
In 2002, Murray was a volunteer assistant coach on head coach Pat McMahon's staff at Florida. The Gators went 46-19 and hosted a NCAA Regional, breaking 45 school records. Murray served as the team's first base coach and assisted in on-campus recruiting. A record eight players from that team were taken in the MLB Draft. Three players from the squad were named All-Americans.
Murray served as an assistant coach at Winthrop in 2001, as the Eagles posted a 48-16-1 record and participated in the East Carolina NCAA Regional. Murray coached first base, directed weight training, oversaw field maintenance and assisted in recruiting. Three players from that squad were named to the Big South all-conference team, with one being drafted in the MLB Draft.
Murray got his start in coaching, as a student assistant coach for his alma mater Ball State in 1998. He served as a bench coach for the 39-18 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Western Division Champions.
Murray graduated from Ball State in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education. In 1997, he was named the shortstop for the American Baseball Coaches Association All-Region team and the All-MAC first team. The Cardinals became the first Ball State team to post a 40-win season that year, with a 40-19 mark. Murray ranked 20th in the country with a .425 batting average and had 20 doubles, which ranked second on the Cardinals' all-time single-season upon graduation.
A native of Bluffton, Ind., Murray is married to the former Mindy Curtis. The couple lives in Lynchburg
