Dan'l Murray enters his 15th season as the head coach of the Delta State University men's and women's swimming and diving programs.
Delta State’s programs have reached new heights under Murray’s leadership, particularly in the past five years. His Statesmen are the three-time reigning New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference champions (2018, 2019, 2020), and have secured five of the last six conference titles.
Murray has garnered Men's Swimming Coach of the Year honors in five of the last six years on the men’s side as well (2015-16, 2018-2020), and pushed the Statesmen to the school’s best finish at the NCAA National Championships in 2019 with a second place overall runner-up finish.
The Greensboro, N.C., native, who is a three-time recipient of the American Swim Coaches Association Coaching Excellence Award (2011-2013), has also pushed the Lady Statesmen to new heights in the pool. The Lady Statesmen won the NSISC Championship in 2013, their first title in 11 seasons, and repeated in 2014 as champions. They also finished ninth at the NCAA Championships in 2015, the program’s highest finish in its history.
They have also been the NSISC Runners-Up in four of the last five years as well, and Murray was selected as the NSISC Women’s Coach of the Year in 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2019. Murray’s programs currently own 19 of 42 NSISC records and have broken an NSISC record 55 times.
Murray’s teams have combined to score 2,046.5 points at the NCAA Championships, and he was named the NCAA National NSCAA Swim Coach of the Year in 2019. His resume also includes being a 10-time NSISC Coach of the Year, and he has the distinction of having coached the 2020 200 IM NCAA Individual National Champion in Emanuel Fava. He also has coached three NCAA Elite 90 Award Winners, including Michael Maly in 2020, Kyle Weesner in 2019, and Melanie Tombers in 2017.
Between the two programs, Murray has led the Green and White to a pair of Top 5 finishes at the NCAA Championships, as well as six different Top 10 finishes. He has also coached 51 student-athletes that have garnered 110 NSCAA/NCAA Scholar All-American Honors, and 38 student-athletes that have totaled 147 NCAA All-American honors.
On Murray’s watch, the Statesmen and Lady Statesmen have combined for seven NSISC Conference titles and seven NSISC Runner-Up finishes. He has had 124 individual NSISC Conference Champions, has had 38 NSISC Conference Champions in relay events, and has had 12 NSISC Swimmer of the Meet honorees.
Murray also served nine years as head coach of the Delta Aquatic Club, an age group program based in Cleveland. During his tenure as DAC head coach, Murray helped guide the program through a major growth spurt that helped launch programs in Greenville and Tunica, while increasing participation from 50 swimmers in 2005 to well over 200.
A member of USA Swimming since 2003, Murray began his career 15 years ago as a summer league coach before moving into USA Swimming 11 years ago.
COMBINED SWIMMING AND DIVING TEAM HIGHLIGHTS
Coach(ing) Staff Recognition [ Men’s / Women’s ]
NCAA National CSCAA Swim Coach of the Year – 1x ( 2019 )
NSISC Conference Coach of the Year – 13x
NCAA National Team Level [ Men’s / Women’s ]
NCAA Individual National Champions - 5x
Men’s Team ( Emanuel Fava, 200 IM – 2020 and 2021, Giulio Brugnoni, 100 Backstroke – 2021 )
Women’s Team ( Lucia Martelli, 100 Butterfly – 2021, Celeste Turner, 200 Butterfly – 2021 )
NCAA Championship National Runner Up Team Finish – 2x
NCAA Championship Top 5 Overall Team Finishes – 3x
NCAA Championship Top 10 Overall Team Finishes – 9x
Overall Team Points Scored at NCAA Championships – 3,039 points
Overall Team Points Scored for Combined Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup – 1,246.25 points
( no points awarded due to COVID during 2020, 2021 )
NCAA National Recognition / Honors [ Men’s / Women’s ]
Elite 90 NCAA Award Winners – 3x ( M. Tombers – 2017, K. Weesner – 2019, M. Maly – 2020 )
Note: This represents the most different student-athlete’s from same swimming/diving program in the country to receive this distinguished national honor. Click Here for more details.
CSCAA SCHOLAR NCAA All Americans Honors – 185 selections ( 92 student-athletes )
CSCAA NCAA All Americans First Team Honors – 256 selections ( 57 student-athletes )
CSCAA NCAA All Americans Second Team / Honorable Mention – 289 selections ( 73 student-athletes )
NSISC Conference Level [ Men’s / Women’s ]
Team NSISC Conference Championship Titles – 10x
Team NSISC Conference Runner Up Finishes – 12x
Individual Swimming NSISC Conference Champions – 170x
Relay Swimming NSISC Conference Champions – 54x
NSISC Conference Swimmer’s of the Meet – 15 honors ( 12 student-athletes )
NSISC Conference Current Record Holders – 22 out of 42 events ( broken 61x )
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING TEAM HIGHLIGHTS
Coach(ing) Staff Recognition
1x CSCAA Men’s NCAA National Swim Coach of the Year ( 2019 )
8x NSISC Men’s Coach of the Year ( 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 )
NCAA National Team Level
Men’s NCAA Individual National Champions - 3x
( Emanuel Fava, 200 IM – 2020 and 2021, Giulio Brugnoni, 100 Back – 2021 )
Men’s NCAA Championship Top 5 Overall Team Finishes – 3x
( 2016 – 5th, 2019 – 2nd National Runner Up, 2020 – 2nd cancelled due to COVID )
Men’s NCAA Championship Top 10 Overall Team Finishes – 6x
( 2016 – 5th, 2017 – 8th, 2018 – 9th, 2019 – 2nd National Runner Up, 2020 – 2nd cancelled due to COVID, 2021 – 6th )
Overall Team Points Scored at Men’s NCAA Championships – 1815 points
Overall Team Points Scored for Men’s Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup – 657 points
( no points awarded due to COVID during 2020, 2021 )
NCAA National Recognition / Honors
2x Elite 90 NCAA Men’s Award Winner ( Kyle Weesner, 2019, Michael Maly - 2021 )
Men’s CSCAA SCHOLAR NCAA All Americans Honors – 99 selections ( 49 student-athletes )
Men’s CSCAA NCAA All Americans First Team Honors – 152 selections ( 29 student-athletes )
Men’s CSCAA NCAA All Americans Second Team / Honorable Mention – 160 selections ( 42 student-athletes )
NSISC Conference Level
Men’s Team NSISC Conference Championship Titles – 8x
Men’s Team NSISC Conference Runner Up Finishes – 4x
Men’s Individual Swimming NSISC Conference Champions – 99x
Note: Ranks #1 all time for head coach tenure in NSISC conference history
Men’s Relay Swimming NSISC Conference Champions – 27x
Men’s NSISC Conference Swimmer of the Meet – 12 honors ( 9 student-athletes )
Men’s NSISC Conference Current Record Holders – 11 out of 21 events ( broken 26x )
WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING TEAM HIGHLIGHTS
Coach(ing) Staff Recognition
5x NSISC Women’s Coach of the Year ( 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2022 )
NCAA National Team Level
Women’s NCAA Individual National Champions - 2x
( Lucia Martelli, 100 Butterfly – 2021, Celeste Turner, 200 Butterfly – 2021 )
Women’s NCAA Championship Top 10 Overall Team Finishes – 3x
( 2015 – 9th, 2016 – 10th, 2021 – 10th )
Overall Team Points Scored at Women’s NCAA Championships – 1,224 points
Overall Team Points Scored for Women’s Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup – 589.25 points
( no points awarded due to COVID during 2020, 2021 )
NCAA National Recognition / Honors
1x Elite 90 NCAA Women’s Award Winner ( Melanie Tombers, 2017 )
Women’s CSCAA SCHOLAR NCAA All Americans Honors – 90 selections ( 45 student-athletes )
Women’s CSCAA NCAA All Americans First Team – 104 selections ( 28 student-athletes )
Women’s CSCAA NCAA All Americans Second Team / Honorable Mention – 129 selections ( 31 student-athletes )
NSISC Conference Level
Women’s Team NSISC Conference Championship Titles – 2x
Women’s Team NSISC Conference Runner Up Finishes – 8x
Women’s Individual Swimming NSISC Conference Champions – 71x
Note: Ranks #2 all time for head coach tenure in NSISC conference history
Women’s Relay Swimming NSISC Conference Champions – 27x
Women’s NSISC Conference Swimmer of the Meet - 3 honors ( 3 student-athletes )
Women’s NSISC Conference Current Record Holders – 11 out of 21 events ( broken 35x )
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Completed Seasons at Delta State University: 14 ( started in 2010 )
- Currently serves on the NCAA College Swim/Dive Coaches Connection Committee ( 2017 – 2024 )
The success in the pool under Coach Murray can be displayed in the progressions from the Men’s and Women’s relay performances. In a sport, where hundredths of a second make a huge difference and impact on team scores, the Delta State swim program has improved leaps and bounds during Coach Murray’s tenure.
• Men’s 200 Medley Relay Progression • Women’s 200 Medley Relay Progression
• 2010 – 1:32.90 • 2010 – 1:46.96
• 2024 – 1:26.03 • 2024 – 1:41.02
Overall Improvement = 6.87 seconds Overall Improvement = 5.94 seconds
• Men’s 400 Medley Relay Progression • Women’s 400 Medley Relay Progression
• 2010 – 3:24.00 • 2010 – 3:54.81
• 2024 – 3:10.67 • 2024 – 3:42.91
Overall Improvement = 13.33 seconds Overall Improvement = 11.90 seconds
• Men’s 200 Freestyle Relay Progression • Women’s 200 Freestyle Relay Progression
• 2010 – 1:22.96 • 2010 – 1:36.75
• 2024 – 1:19.11 • 2024 – 1:31.38
Overall Improvement = 3.85 seconds Overall Improvement = 5.37 seconds
• Men’s 400 Freestyle Relay Progression • Women’s 400 Freestyle Relay Progression
• 2010 – 3:02.32 • 2010 – 3:33.02
• 2024 – 2:55.24 • 2024 – 3:24.72
Overall Improvement = 7.08 seconds Overall Improvement = 8.30 seconds
• Men’s 800 Freestyle Relay Progression • Women’s 800 Freestyle Relay Progression
• 2010 – 6:47.22 • 2010 – 7:47.68
• 2024 – 6:33.84 • 2024 – 7:23.39
Overall Improvement = 13.38 seconds Overall Improvement = 24.29 seconds
