Murphy Steers Chapman in Right Direction : Soccer: Coach took over mediocre program in 1990, and his team plays in Division III semifinal Saturday.

To understand how satisfying these last few weeks have been for Chapman men’s soccer Coach Gregg Murphy, you have to go back to the tough times.

Chapman, which will play top-ranked Methodist (N.C.) in an NCAA Division III semifinal Saturday in Williamstown, Mass., has come far in the six years since Murphy took over.

When Murphy, who had been coaching the women’s team for two seasons, took the men’s job in 1990, the program was in sorry shape. Chapman, once a respected NCCA Division II team on which Murphy, had lost its luster after the college eliminated soccer scholarships two seasons earlier.

In the early 1980s, Murphy had played for teams that challenged for the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. titles; in the last two years of the ‘80s, the Panthers won fewer than one-third of their games. “They were terrible,” said Murphy. “They were really, really bad.”

During Murphy’s first two seasons, they weren’t any better. Chapman was 2-15-1 in 1990 and 6-10-3 in ’91. Murphy also was losing the local recruiting battle.

“Initially, because the program was so beaten up, recruiting was nearly impossible,” Murphy said. “The local kids didn’t even think about Chapman. That was the major obstacle to overcome.”

Murphy got around that problem primarily by going after players from out of the area who weren’t familiar with Chapman. Those who joined the team were sold by Murphy’s vision of the future. Eventually, local players came around; today only three are from out of state.

Senior goalkeeper Craig Bennett, who transferred from Santa Rosa College in 1992, said Murphy’s enthusiasm and knowledge of soccer was all he needed to see.

“I didn’t come in looking at how the team had done but what they were going to do,” Bennett said. “Just by talking to him, you could tell that he was going to have a positive impact down the line.”

The Panthers were noticeably improved in 1992, when they finished 7-12 and beat Cal State San Bernardino, then ranked No. 16 in NCAA Division II. Then, in 1993, the program moved out of the CCAA and started playing at the Division III level. That year they finished 13-4-3, the program’s first winning season since 1985.

A corner had been turned; now Chapman has almost gone around the block.

After narrowly missing a postseason berth last season, the Panthers vowed to concentrate on every game during the regular season. They lost only three games--to Division I Cal State Fullerton, Division II Cal State Dominguez Hills and Division III power UC San Diego--and were top-ranked in the West Region for much of the season.

“The team we have right now is probably the best team Chapman has ever had,” Murphy said, “and that says something for these guys.”

It also says something for Murphy. He has turned around a program other coaches had given up on. Make that two programs. The Chapman women’s team, which Murphy started in 1988, has improved every season since 1992 and narrowly missed a postseason bid this year.

Kelly Cooke, Murphy’s main assistant coach, said the program has thrived by design. “Five years ago, he set down a plan to come up with a competitive and winning team within the five-year period,” Cooke said. “It’s paid off.”

Murphy said his strategy was basic: work long hours and show players he cares.

Dustin Kemmerer, a senior forward, said Murphy can almost always be found in his office. “I always imagined college coaches would be intimidating and unapproachable,” Kemmerer said. “With him, his door is open all the time.”

By showing that commitment, Murphy has been able to push the Panthers to the brink of a national title.

“I’m extremely proud,” Murphy said. “I remember the first team meeting with the men here. I knew we had a long bumpy road ahead of us, and I told those guys that we were laying the foundation for the house that will be the program, but they might not be here when we put on the roof.

“I told them, ‘You are starting something special.’ ”

Notes

Chapman (17-3-1) and Methodist (20-0) are schedule to play at 1 p.m. EST after Muhlenberg (Pa.) (16-1-3) and host Williams (16-0-1) play at 10:30 a.m. Methodist, which has four players from Iceland, three from Ireland, one from England and one from Burundi, was top-ranked in every soccer association poll this season. Chapman finished the regular season at No. 6. Williams was second and Muhlenberg 10th. With an assist in the quarterfinal victory over Ohio Wesleyan, Chapman’s Erick Hurtarte moved past Gregg Murphy into fifth place on the all-time Chapman scoring list. Hurtarte has 61 points. Murphy had 60. Dustin Kemmerer is third with 67.