Murphy in Running at Washington State

Football Coach Gene Murphy of Cal State Fullerton is reportedly among those being considered for the vacant coaching position at Washington State, it was learned Monday.

A member of the screening committee appointed to select the Cougars’ new coach said that Murphy is a “very strong candidate” to become the successor to former coach Jim Walden.

Dave Currey, former Cal State Long Beach coach now at Cincinnati; Weber State Coach Mike Price, Wyoming Coach Dennis Erickson and Miami assistant Dave Warmstead are others reportedly being considered by Dick Young, Washington State athletic director.

Murphy was attending a coaches’ convention in San Diego Monday and could not be reached for comment. Fullerton Athletic Director Ed Carroll maintained his long-standing policy of neither confirming nor denying that interest had been expressed in Murphy.

“Gene’s our coach and we hope to have him here until he retires,” Carroll said. “He’s already signed his contract for next year. Obviously, if the opportunity he couldn’t refuse came along, we’d have to deal with it at that time.”

Murphy, 37-44 in seven seasons at Fullerton, has been a finalist for coaching positions at Missouri, Oregon State and Utah since guiding the Titans to a 7-5 record in 1983 and 11-1 mark in 1984.

The Titans were 3-9 this season, however, and Murphy said that because of that record, he did not expect to be considered for coaching vacancies.