The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2016 THE WOLVERINE 15 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS FIVE YEARS AGO, 2011: Michigan football celebrated following its first win over Ohio State since 2003. The Wolver- ines accepted a bid to the Sugar Bowl and earned a host of plaudits following a 10-2 regular season. Head coach Brady Hoke won the Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year Award, chosen by Big Ten coaches, and the Dave McClain Coach of the Year Award, bestowed by conference media. He became a finalist for three national coaching awards: the Bear Bry- ant Award, the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award and the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison became a finalist for the 2011 Broyles Award, going annually to the top assistant coach in college football. Mattison directed a defense that sur- rendered 17.38 points per game, a year removed from Michigan giving up an average 35.2 points per contest in 2010. Center David Molk earned the Rim- ington Trophy, given to the top center in college football. The consensus All- American also garnered the inaugural Rimington-Pace Big Ten Offensive Line- man of the Year Award. TEN YEARS AGO, 2006: Michigan found itself battling Urban Meyer, but not on the football field. The Wolverines had dropped a No. 1 vs. No. 2 show- down in Columbus, 42-39, a day after the passing of U-M icon Bo Schem- bechler. Some were calling for a rematch in the national title game, pitting the Wolver- ines and Buckeyes against each other on a neutral field. Meyer, coach of the Florida Gators, argued vigorously that his squad ought to be playing in Glen- dale, Ariz., for the title, rather than the Wolverines. He eventually won the ar- gument and the title. Michigan director of athletics Bill Mar- tin refused to get involved in the war of words. "We don't lobby our players on behalf of any national awards, and we don't lobby as a program," Martin told The New York Times. "Our team and program lets our performance speak for itself. If we got an invitation to the Rose Bowl, Mich- igan would be honored to play in it." Michigan eventually did so, bowing to USC in Pasadena, while the Buckeyes lost to the Gators. 25 YEARS AGO, 1991: The Fab Five had the college basketball world buzz- ing, bursting out of the gate with an 8-1 non-conference record, capped by a Dec. 30 win over Virginia Tech in the Red Lobster Classic in Orlando, Fla. The Wolverines knocked off a tough BYU squad in the previous game of the clas- sic, 86-83. Michigan suffered just one setback leading up to Big Ten play, an 88-85 overtime thriller against No. 1 Duke at Crisler Arena. The game demonstrated that the Wolverines, paced by freshmen and future NBA standouts Jalen Rose, Chris Webber and Juwan Howard, could play with anyone. The sensation went beyond basketball with this crew, though — it involved the look and the attitude. "We were so much either loved or hated and judged by the way we looked," Rose told the Associated Press. "Back then, it was 'Oh, look at these hoodlums, these thugs, these gang- sters,' because we had big shorts, be- cause we had black shorts and black socks. "But then once Michael Jordan and the Bulls started wearing them, once mainstream America started to wear them and corporate America embraced it, then I guess it became cool." — John Borton For fifth-year senior Kelly Murphy, coming to the University of Michigan to play volleyball provided the whole package when it came to both sports and academics. "When I came on my recruiting trip I fell in love with the cam- pus, then I fell in love with the coaches and the team culture," Murphy said. "I knew that it was just a great place to be and it was going to set me up to be successful for the rest of my life." Murphy completed her undergraduate degree in biopsychol- ogy, cognition and neuroscience, and is now in the masters of management program in the Ross School of Business. For her performance in the classroom, Murphy has earned Academic All-Big Ten honors each of the last three seasons. After finishing her graduate degree, she hopes to get a job that combines both her science background and what she has learned in her time at the business school, possibly in sales of medical supplies. "I feel like no matter what field I [go] into, I have the back- ground and the education to be successful," she said. On the court, Murphy is an outside hitter for the Wolverines, playing on both the front and back lines. She sees herself as a do-it-all player, with a role on both offense and defense. Despite losing her junior year to an injury, Murphy has been a big part of the team's leadership, being named one of the team captains by her teammates for the last three years. "I've always been a vocal player and definitely a vocal leader," Murphy said. "I think this year is different because I've been able, with the help of [the other captains], to just be more efficient leaders, and we work really well together." She has also saved her best play for last, recording a ca- reer single-match best with 21 kills against Kansas State. With more matches still to come, Murphy had a career-best 230 kills on the season as of Nov. 15. In her last season Murphy wants to go out on top. As of Nov. 14, the 21-7 Wolverines were ranked 18th nationally. "Team goals are definitely that we want to host the NCAA Tournament, which requires being ranked in the top 16 and is something Michigan volleyball has only done a couple of times," Murphy said. "We're competing for a national championship, and we have a really good shot to win it." — Leland Mitchinson Student Athlete Of The Month Volleyball Fifth-Year Senior Kelly Murphy Through Michigan's first 28 con- tests, Murphy ranked third on the team with 2.5 kills per set. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS THIS MONTH IN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS HISTORY