Also beginning his fifth season with the Falcon coaching staff, Bud Murray is also the father of head coach Kodee Murray. Coach Murray has been a coach at the high school, junior college and Division I level, as well as with college semi-pro and women’s professional fastpitch teams. His experiences with both baseball and softball spans over 46 years, which makes him a valuable addition to the Falcon staff. While the head baseball coach at Hart High School, Murray led his teams to 26 league titles and they won the 1999 CIF Southern Section Division II Championship. Upon his retirement from the school, Murray had his number (30) retired and the field was renamed in his honor. Three years ago, he was named the California Baseball Coach of the Year, while he compiled an amazing 516-176 record during his 39 years of coaching high school and junior college baseball.

          In addition to coaching at Hart High, Murray also spent time at Los Angeles Pierce College, Mission College, Cal State Northridge and the Wenatchee Apple Sox, a minor league baseball team in Washington. He also spent time as the Tampa Bay Fire Stix assistant coach, which is a women’s fastpitch softball team.

          A former professional baseball player himself, Murray spent 4½ years (1955-59) with the Brooklyn Dodgers as a pitcher. Upon graduation from high school in Scottsbluff, NE, where he lettered in football, basketball and track, Murray transferred to Nebraska State College on a basketball scholarship. His high school did not have a baseball team, so he spent his extra time playing American Legion baseball. In 1955, Murray earned All-State honors in basketball after his team won the state championship. In the finals, Murray scored a record 33 points. While at Nebraska State College, Murray earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Science and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.