Staff Spotlight | Sean Murphy

Part 3 of our series featuring the people who make your child’s youth soccer experience happen.

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Now that the Fall season is winding down and Winter is here, every family in our Club’s competitive program will soon receive the first of two seasonal reviews on their child’s development.

To the players that have previously received these reports, and the coaches that have created them, they’re better known as the “mid-season player evaluations”.

These mid-season player evaluations, provided by each team’s coach through a an online platform called “ZoomReports”, are part of a larger, on-going process aiming to enhance the player development pathway at our Club — from our youngest competitive teams at Under-8, to our most senior at Under-19.

Leading these efforts to improve the player development pathway is Sean Murphy, our Club’s most senior (not by age 😉) coaching director, and also a parent of two Rush players himself!

Beyond the player evaluations that each player receives at the middle and end of each season, Sean also oversees coaching evaluations, team evaluations, curriculum development, and the implementation of the Club’s training methodology and style of play.

Oh, and one more thing: he’s also the Academy Director for our Club’s elite youth teams, overseeing the MLS Next program for the Under-13 to Under-19 age groups.

So, how does just one man do it all!?

Well… we’re not quite sure either.

But we hope that this interview will give you an unique insight into how the head of our coaching staff sees life and the beautiful game, from nearly 30 years of coaching experience at the highest levels of collegiate and youth soccer in the United States.

Without further ado, here’s Sean Murphy — in his own words — on coaching and player education, parenting two youth soccer players himself, and what he does day-by-day to make all of our soccer experiences better.

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Hi, Sean!

So, we’ve told the readers a bit about your role at our Club and the amount of years that you’ve been involved in the game. With next year being your 30th as a coach, how did this all start for you?

I have played soccer since my early childhood and enjoyed a short professional career as a player. I came to play in the United States when I was just 17, when I was recruited from England by Flagler College.

I had anticipated only staying one year… and here I am, 36 years later: an American citizen, with a beautiful American bride, Alison, and also two amazing Orlando-born boys.

Now that you have a family and call Orlando home, how did you end up crossing paths with Florida Rush?

I joined Florida Rush during its first year, in 2008, as a part-time coach. Prior to joining the club, I had been an Assistant Coach at Clemson University and the Head Coach at Stetson University.

I was excited to take on a new challenge with Rush and coached an older boys team that was made-up of three different teams that merged to form one elite team at Rush. That team became successful and won back-to-back Florida State championships, in 2009 and 2010.

Over the years, I have taken on more responsibility and moved from a part-time role as a coach to a full-time role as the Technical Director.

It seems like soccer has played a huge part in your life, considering you came to the United States from England as a teenager.

Are there any other ways in which the game has been a driving force in your journey?

I am so grateful that obtaining a Bachelor’s degree from Flagler College and a Master’s degree from Clemson University was made accessible to me through soccer. I have also travelled across the world and have built many great friendships through soccer.

Many people in soccer have helped me along during my journey. I am so thankful for that and hope to give back to the beautiful game and those in it through my role at Rush. 

Given that you now oversee coaches and coaching development at our Club, what are your favorite and least parts about being a coach?

I really enjoy coaching soccer because of the amazing experiences it provides to parents, players and coaches. Parents enjoy seeing their children compete and play this exciting game, while the players get to make great friends and possibly travel across the country and (sometimes) the world.

I also enjoy how the game itself is free-flowing and allows kids to make decisions for themselves. Should I attack? Should I defend? Should I pass? Should I shoot? While developing these cognitive skills, the game provides great life lessons, such as respect, tenacity, persistence, and work ethic.

Finally, as a coach, I really enjoy bringing a group of individual players who have different points of view and different motivations into a collective unit, who all work hard towards the same goals both on- and off-the-field. I get very excited when a team is playing for each other, and all of the individuals have come together to form a harmonious collective.

On the contrary, my least favorite part of coaching is when you do encounter parents, players or coaches that are ego-driven, believe that their opinion is always correct, or think they have no area of opportunity for learning or growth.

Now that you are coaching other coaches, what has your coaching education experience been like? And what are the characteristics that make a successful coach?

Over the years, I have worked through the U.S. Soccer coaching licenses. I hold the U.S. Soccer “A” license and have attended numerous continuing education programs and symposiums.

To me, it is very important to be humble. I am happy to have a healthy conversation regarding others’ opinions, even if they are different to mine, as long the conversation comes from a position of respect.

In my opinion, the key to learning is having respect for each other. I feel that everyone can learn from all that they come to contact with in soccer. The game is opinion-based, and even if I disagree with someone’s opinion, I try to respect others, and try to understand why the person acts or thinks the way they do.

With your role at the Club evolving over the years — from coaching elite teams to leading all the coaches at the Club — how have your objectives and responsibilities changed?

Now, my role as the Technical Director is to oversee Coaches Education and Player Development.

From an education perspective, I partner with the coaches to identify strengths and areas of opportunity, so that their potential can be maximized. Also, I develop and maintain the Club’s “Game Model” through our training methodology and periodization plans, to support our coaches in implementing the Club’s desired style of play.

A key function in achieving my goals is to work with the coaches through evaluations of both the individual coach and team performance. I really enjoy this role, as I hope to have an impact on a larger scale by being in-touch with more coaches, more players and more parents, rather than just one team.

Speaking of parents… you’re a dad of two Rush players. How has becoming a youth soccer parent changed your perspective as a coach and director? And what advice would you give to all of the Rush parents within our membership?

I really enjoy watching my sons play and now have a better understanding through the eyes of a parent. Liam is 9 and Declan is 7 and they both play in the competitive program.

As a parent, it is important to enjoy the journey and the process. Player development isn’t a straight trajectory. Development happens in peaks and valleys. Enjoy the moment.

My goal is that my boys have a lifelong passion for the game that will grow as they grow. I feel that soccer will teach my boys valuable life lessons that will serve them well after playing soccer has come and gone.

Of course, I would love for my boys to be world-class players, but as long as they are having fun, making friends, and enjoying the sport, then I am a happy dad!

Now, time for the toughest question of the interview…

If your boys do become world class players, what country and club team are they playing for!?

My boys have American and English citizenship, so I often joke with them about who they will play for: the US or England!

If they do become high level players, I hope they will play for my favorite team, Manchester United!

We are a house divided, as Liam supports Liverpool and Declan supports Tottenham. I was drawn to Manchester United during the time when Alex Ferguson was the coach, as I was pulled towards his style of man-management and the brand of soccer his teams played.

Wow. What a mix!

Beyond being a fan of Manchester United, how did Alex Ferguson’s teams influence how you view coaching?

I just love attacking soccer played at a high tempo, using central combinations and dynamic flank play. And I love teams that play the game like it’s their last, and press opponents all over the field.

That’s how Manchester United played under Alex Ferguson. No one player was bigger than the team, and I loved United’s philosophy and commitment to the collective.