Today we’d like to introduce you to Rob Murphy.
Hi Rob, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised on the west side of Detroit. I grew up in one of the toughest neighborhoods on the west side. Losing my mother as a teen to gun violence (while never meeting my father) made times very challenging for me early on. After getting involved in selling drugs and nearly being murdered myself, several coaches stepped into my life to help guide me down a positive path for a better future. After graduating from Mumford high school in Detroit, I went on to attend Central State University to continue my education and basketball career. After gradating with a bachelor’s degree in education, I returned home to Detroit to begin my teaching and coaching career. After winning a couple state championships as a high school basketball coach, I moved on to college coaching landing an assistant coaching job at Kent State University which lead me to Syracuse University a few years later. After those great experiences as an assistant coach, I landed the head coaching job at Eastern Michigan University. After a decade at EMU, I went on to work in the NBA as a front office executive to help restore the Pistons franchise. I’m currently a ESPN+ basketball color analyst and NIL specialist working with college and professional athletes managing their careers. My biggest inspirations are my children, Rob Murphy II (18) and Ryann Murphy (15) along with the many students that are impacted in under-served areas with my mentoring programs through the Rob Murphy Foundation that was established in 2014.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There were many obstacles and challenges to overcome through out my life. The trauma and grief of losing my impact was very challenging to deal with as a teen. The lack of guidance and instability wore on me heavy during that time. Feeling isolated and developing trust issues is what I carried into my adulthood for a long time. Going through this also put me behind academically which caused me to struggle throughout high school and at the beginning of my college career. Professionally there have always been challenges that African Americans have to face to get the same opportunities or rewards as other ethnic backgrounds or races. In the coaching world it’s no different. I’ve always been able to use my relationship building and strong communications skills to overcome most challenges I’ve been faced.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
NIL Specialist | Color Sports Analyst | Leadership Coach | Basketball Consultant | Executive Movie Producer | Author of DEEP, The Life of Rob Murphy
How do you define success?
Success is achieving meaningful goals with consistent growth while making a positive impact in the lives of others. It’s also imperative to stay healthy to enjoy the success of yours and the others you’ve impacted.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.robmurphydeep.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robmurphy313/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robmurphydeep/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-murphy-speaks/
