Until Torn Murphy arrived in the fall of 1970, Hamilton College seldom was celebrated for its athletic accomplishments and Continental basketball teams never were considered among the top rank.
Things have changed in the 20 seasons the 50-year-old Brooklyn native has been on the Hill.

At Belleville Academy in Jefferson County, Murphy won six league championships and four Section III titles before leaving with an 83-game winning streak- intact. That kind of magic did not follow him to Hamilton however, at least, not immediately.

Murphy's first Hamilton team didn't record a victory until deep into the season - an 80-71 win over Utica College on Feb. 26, 1971 - and finished 1-15. The Continentals went 15-47 over the next three seasons before finally posting a 12-10 record in 1974-75. Then they took off. Led by former Proctor High star Cedric Oliver, Hamilton stormed to an 89-15 record over the next four seasons.

They were ranked among the nation's top Division III teams, although they were prohibited from playing in the NCAA national tournament because of restrictions imposed by the New England Small College Athletic Conference.

Since then the Continentals have had six other 20 win seasons, the latest a 21-5 record in 1988-89. Murphy's overall record is 336-157 (68 percent), including nine Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Upstate tournament titles. He also has developed numerous Division III All-Americans, including first- teamers Oliver, three times; and John Cavanagh in 1987. Murphy also had many standouts recruited from local schools including Willie Jackson, Kevin Grimmer, John Magee and Ron Evans.

Murphy, who played basketball and baseball at Springfield College before graduating in 1960, was head coach of baseball and golf and an assistant football coach at various times at Hamilton. He became athletic director in 1979.