Up until this past year, the varsity boys basketball team has made it to the championship for six consecutive years. Although they didn’t hit the mark last year, the future is bright and the expectation is to be right back in that game. But now with a new coach taking over the program, Redwood basketball is entering a new era. Leading that next chapter is Khalil Murphy, who hopes to bring a new energy and identity to the Giants program.
“I want to build a highly competitive, hardworking and close-knit program where players embrace the process, grow together as a team and eventually see the rewards of their commitment pay off on and off the court,” Murphy said.
Throughout his life, Murphy has always felt a connection to basketball.
“At four years old my dad would wake me up at 6:30 in the morning to go shoot off the backboard,” Murphy said. “I remember playing basketball in my living room using a chair and my sock as the ball.”
That passion from a young age, combined with his work ethic, led him to a quality basketball career as he played Division 1 at the University of San Francisco. However, after transferring, he graduated from St Catherine College where he then went on to play three years overseas before signing in the Morocco League. After that, Murphy began his coaching career with Redwood’s junior varsity boys team before taking a head coaching opportunity at Marin Academy. The passion Murphy has for the game of basketball is second to none, and is one of the key parts that stood out about the Redwood coaching opportunity.
“There’s no comparison to basketball when it comes to Marin County; Redwood’s crowds, culture, tradition and fan base stand out like no other,” Murphy said.
Murphy understands the importance of winning, especially when it comes to Redwood’s standards. Junior guard Max Monterastelli touched on the energy that Murphy has immediately brought into the gym.
“He brought a lot of energy and intensity right away,” Monterastelli said. “It’s clear that he’s creating a competitive culture where everyone pushes each other to improve and where players are working as hard as possible.”
Murphy not only makes an impact on the court, but he also understands the value of coach to player relationships. These relationships he builds with the players not only develop them into better players, but better men.
“I’m going to challenge you, I’m going to push you and make you uncomfortable and get you out of your comfort zone,” Murphy said.
The spark he brings to the table is going to sit well with the team, as the players are excited for this new hardcore mindset.
“We’re ready for the challenge as a team,” Monterastelli said. “At times it may be difficult, but I know the tougher culture and mindset moving forward will help us as a team.”
The varsity boys are excited to hit the ground running and have optimism for what’s to come this season.
“We have big expectations this season with a lot of returning players coming back,” Monterastelli said. “I also know Coach Khalil can build a strong future at Redwood because of the culture that he’s building.”
Looking ahead, the boys have a promising future, with Murphy seeing his team loaded with talent and wanting to turn that pure talent into skill. With this comes expectations set by both the coaches and the players and they have their eyes on the prize.
“I see a great opportunity to put ourselves in the conversation of winning Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) and North Coast Section (NCS) championships every single year,” Murphy said.
