Chanel Murchison, who has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Division I William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, will take over as the fifth head coach in the history of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women’s basketball for the 2019-20 season, it was announced today by Director of Athletics Erica Perkins Jasper.
Murchison has six years of coaching experience since her 2013 graduation from William & Mary, where she was a student-athlete with the Tribe women’s basketball program. She spent four seasons on the coaching staff at Division III John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio, the first two as a graduate assistant before earning an assistant coach position in June of 2015. She then returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in 2017, a position she has held for the last two years.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Chanel Murchison joining the CMS Athletics family,” said Perkins Jasper. “Chanel’s reputation as a tremendous up and coming basketball coach with a strong commitment to academic excellence became apparent as we progressed through the interview process. However her reputation off the basketball court — in building relationships with her student-athletes, as well as with faculty and staff — is equally impressive, and we look forward to her becoming an integral part of the campus community and working with all three of our tremendous institutions. We are very excited for Coach Murchison to challenge, motivate, and support our team of outstanding scholar-athletes.”
“I’d first like to thank President Chodosh, Director of Athletics Erica Perkins Jasper, and the entire search committee in entrusting me with the leadership of the women’s basketball program here at CMS,” said Murchison. “CMS Athletics represents everything I value in the experience of student-athletes, developing individuals who strive to excel in all that they do. This program has seen great success and has a lot to offer in the future. I would also be remiss not to express my gratitude toward the communities at William & Mary and John Carroll, both of which impacted my ability to confidently take on this role.”
Murchison’s efforts on the coaching staff helped William & Mary to 16 wins in her first season, matching the fourth-highest total in program history. She helped Tribe players earn five All-Colonial Athletic Association awards, including a first-team All-CAA selection from Bianca Boggs, the first such honor for the program in a decade. Murchison also worked closely with the post players, helping William & Mary set a school record with 7.3 blocked shots per game in 2017-18, which ranked third in the nation.
In addition to her coaching tasks, she also served as the academic and career center liaison for the Tribe, organizing student-athlete academic schedules and assisting in career development endeavors. As the program’s recruiting coordinator, she managed the recruiting budget and oversaw all aspects of the recruiting process.
“I am excited to welcome Chanel to CMS,” said Mary Hatcher-Skeers, professor of chemistry and Scripps faculty athletics representative, who served on the selection committee. “She rose to the top of a very strong candidate pool. Throughout her career as an athlete and a coach, she has demonstrated a commitment to the scholar-athlete model that we deeply value. I am particularly excited by her plans to develop stronger relationships with all three colleges, their faculty and the broader community.”
“Athletics is about more than what the student-athletes accomplish between the playing lines,” said Murchison. “For me it’s about building relationships, creating trust, and showing genuine care, in order to help young women succeed in everything that they do.”
As an assistant at John Carroll from 2013-17, Murchison helped the Blue Streaks to their first two NCAA Tournament appearances in program history. Her teams compiled a 64-41 record over her four seasons, including a pair of 22-win campaigns, and had nine players earn all-league honors, including one Player of the Year and one Rookie of the Year.
Murchison also served as a physical education instructor at John Carroll, while holding the role of academic and career advisor for the women’s basketball program, creating academic plans for players to help monitor their personal and professional growth in preparation for graduation. In addition, she served on the John Carroll Diversity and Inclusion Committee, before assuming a similar role at William & Mary.
During her playing days at William & Mary (2008-13), Murchison appeared in 88 games, including 45 starts, over three seasons with the Tribe. She was also involved in the athletic department off the court as an undergraduate, working with the marketing and sports information departments.
Murchison will inherit a talented team at CMS, as the Athenas matched the school record for wins in a season last year with a 24-3 record and return four of their top five scorers. The CMS will also be in pursuit of the program’s seventh straight regular season SCIAC title this winter.
A native of Stafford, Virginia, Murchison graduated from William & Mary with a degree in economics, and earned her MBA from John Carroll in 2016.
https://www.cmsathletics.org/sports/wbkb/2019-20/releases/20190826u46e7h
