"One club’s gain is very much another club’s loss.
Struan Murray has been appointed head coach of the University of Delaware rugby team, which is returning to campus this fall after a two year suspension. As a result, he has stepped down as coach of Wilmington men’s team, which he led to the Division 2 National Championship game in 2013.
Former president and captain of Wilmington, Kevin Barry, said that players have mixed emotions about Murray’s departure. “Our club has very deep ties to the UD team,” Barry said, “so we are delighted for the Delaware guys that they have such a great coach to lead them forward. We are also very happy for Stru on a personal level, because this is a wonderful opportunity for him. But as Wilmington players, we will definitely miss what he brought to the club as coach.”
Murray took charge of Wilmington in the spring of 2013, when he led them to a Mid Atlantic championship en route to the national championship game, only to lose to Wisconsin at the final hurdle. He won consecutive, undefeated Mid Atlantic North league titles in 2014 and 2015, and his all-time record with Wilmington was 32-3.
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“Stru would probably insist that all of our recent success was down to the players themselves,” Barry commented, “but Stru elevated our levels of organization and discipline greatly. He put an awful lot of time into making sure the club succeeded, and this definitely rubbed off on the players and saw the team improve steadily under his watch.”
With Murray’s departure, Wilmington are now looking for a new head coach, and have posted the following advertisement.
The Wilmington Rugby Football Club, based in Wilmington Delaware, is looking for a head coach for the fall 2015 season and beyond.
Wilmington field two men’s teams in Division 2 and Division 4 in the Mid Atlantic region. The team played in the Division 2 National Championship game in 2013 and has performed strongly in both the regular season and playoffs over the last few years. We are looking for a coach who is committed to having the team play to its maximum potential, while also giving an opportunity to each player at the club to develop their rugby skills.
The responsibilities of the head coach will include:
· Organizing and running practice on Tuesday and Thursday evenings
· Working with captains to select our two squads on Saturday
· Providing leadership and instruction before, during and after games
· Assisting with player recruitment
For more information about the club in general, please take a look at our website.
http://www.wilmingtonrugby.com/
If interested in the position, please contact club president Matt Weik via email at president@wilmingtonrugby.com"