Elmhurst athletics photo by Harry Figiel

Elmhurst athletics announced the resignation of Mike Murray as head football coach. Murray has resigned his position at Elmhurst to return to Illinois Wesleyan, where he will return to a previous role as defensive coordinator.

Murray is a 1984 Illinois Wesleyan graduate and previous assistant coach and coordinator at IWU. He will be assistant head coach under Jared Williamson, who was named head coach earlier this month.

"My relationship with Coach Murray and his family dates back to 2006 and our time here at Illinois Wesleyan," Williamson shared. "The guidance and leadership he will provide to our student-athletes across every aspect of their IWU experience is truly special. Being a Titan alum with extensive experience in the CCIW and NCAA Division III football makes his addition to our staff a home run."

"We would like to thank Coach Murray for what he has done here at Elmhurst. In just two seasons, he provided strong leadership and mentorship for our program, and developed a solid foundation for the future of Elmhurst football. We greatly appreciate his efforts, and wish Coach Murray the very best in his future endeavors" said athletic director Glen Brittich, Ed.D.

Murray brings more than 40 years of coaching experience, including head coaching stops at Elmhurst, Dubuque, and Benedictine. He had taken the Bluejays program, which had won just three of its previous 40 games, and led it to a 5-15 record over the past two seasons.

Elmhurst finished the 2024 season with a 3-7 overall record and a 3-6 mark in CCIW action, both the most wins since the 2016 season. In his first season with the Jays in 2023, Murray led the team to a 2-8 overall record with a season-opening non-conference victory over Adrian, the first non-conference win for the program since 2018.

Murray will rejoin 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 Lakers 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.