Mike Murray, a 1984 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan, was named the program's assistant head coach and defensive coordinator in January of 2025.
Murray has more than 40 years of coaching experience, including head coaching stops at Elmhurst University, University of Dubuque, and Benedictine University (Ill.). Prior to joining Williamson's staff, he spent two seasons at College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin foe Elmhurst, where he reinvigorated the Bluejay football program. Inheriting a program that had won just two games over a 30-game span, Murray guided Elmhurst to its most wins since 2016 this past fall.
With his return to IWU, Murray rejoined forces with Williamson for the third time as the two previously worked together at Illinois Wesleyan and Robert Morris/Roosevelt. Williamson was a graduate assistant at IWU during Murray’s stint as offensive coordinator in the mid-2000s. Murray later joined Williamson’s staff in Chicago as the defensive coordinator. In his most recent tenure coaching alongside Williamson, Murray helped lead the Lakes to a 7-3 overall record and a No. 15 national ranking in the NAIA Coaches Poll. His defense finished the season ranked 20th in the NAIA in points per game, allowing just 17.2 per contest, while nine defensive student-athletes were named all-conference.
Prior to coaching at Roosevelt/Robert Morris, Murray served as the defensive coordinator at North Central College for five seasons. There, Murray helped the Cardinals to a 49-9 overall record and CCIW Championships in 2013, 2016, and 2017. Murray coached two D3 Football All-Americans in his time at North Central, and led his players to 16 First Team All-CCIW selections, including the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year in the conference.
Murray got his start in coaching at his alma mater, serving as the Titans’ defensive coordinator for 10 seasons, from 1987-96. His players garnered 66 All-CCIW selections and he coached the league’s co-defensive player of the year in 1987. He also earned his first three CCIW Championships with the Titans in 1992, 1994, and 1996.
Murray is a 1984 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University, where he lettered all four years in both football and baseball, earning All-CCIW Honorable Mention honors in football in 1983 and all-conference honors in baseball in both 1983 and 1984.
He and his wife, Anne, are both 1984 Illinois Wesleyan graduates, while two of their four children also attended IWU. Murray and his wife have four children - Laura (class of 2009), Amanda (class of 2012), David, and Bryan, and four grandchildren.
