Staff Directory
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
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KJ (Kjirstyn) Murphy enters her second season as an assistant coach at Creighton. She works closely with the Bluejays defense, helps with scouting and camps, while also handling day-to-day operational duties such as team meals and travel.
The Bluejays went 36-22 in her first year in Omaha, finishing tied for second with a 16-8 mark in the BIG EAST before closing out the year with a runner-up finish at the BIG EAST Softball Championships.Â
Serving on part of the 2024 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year, Murphy played a key role in the development of freshman Ashten Pierson, who went on to become the first freshman in BIG EAST history to earn BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honors. In addition, Murphy’s work on the field assisted in the development of five All-BIG EAST Conference selections, including First Team All-BIG EAST honorees Madeline Vejvoda, Cayla Nielsen and Ella Dalton. Overall, under Murphy’s guidance the Bluejays ranked tied for 10th nationally and established a new school record with a .977 fielding percentage.Â
Murphy came to Creighton after spending the 2023 season as a graduate assistant coach at The University of Texas at Arlington under the direction of head coach Kara Dill, after playing five seasons for the Mavericks. In her one season as a graduate assistant, Murphy served as the director of operations and was in charge of scheduling flights, hotels and buses for away games while serving as the point of contact for future recruits and potential student-athletes.Â
A native of Baytown, Texas, Murphy capped off her illustrious five-year playing career at UTA as an NFCA All-Region and All-Sun Belt First Team honoree, while guiding the Mavericks to 117 wins. She finished her career ranked tied for ninth with 16 career home runs and just outside the top-10 with 27 career doubles.Â
Murphy posted the best offensive number of her career as a senior in 2021, recording a .405 batting average, the fifth-best single season mark in UTA softball program history, while pacing the Mavericks in hits (62), doubles (13), home runs (6), RBI (31) and walks (21).Â
In the classroom, Murphy became just the sixth UTA softball player to earned CSC Academic All-District First Team honors in program history while earning her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 2021. Murphy also earned her master’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from UTA in May of 2023.
