Murphy Names New Staff

Harvard football Head Coach Tim Murphy introduced his coaching staff for the 1994 season to his players in a private team meeting Monday afternoon at Dillon Field House.

On paper the staff is one of the best and most experienced in the Ivy League. One member has been an assistant coach at the University of Southern California, and another has professional experience in the World League of American Football.

"They come here with a lot of credibility," junior off-guard Alex Kapetan said. "They are highly qualified for the Ivy League level."

The new offensive coordinator is Mike Foley, who most recently was the head football coach at Colgate. He and Murphy are planning a Dallas Cowboys-style offense, which balances running and passing the ball in an effort to stay unpredictable.

Craig VerSteeg will be following Murphy from the University of Cincinnati, where he served as quarterback coach. Prior to Cincinnati, he coached at football power USC and also at the University of Utah, where he coached current Miami Dolphin quarterback Scott Mitchell.

In addition to coaching Harvard quarterbacks, VerSteeg will also be the receivers coach and passing game coordinator.

"He did an outstanding job for us at Cincinnati," Murphy said. "He understands the fundamentals of quarterback play and breaks them into concepts that are understandable."

At Cincinnati, VerSteeg's quarterbacks led their offense to the second highest number of points scored in school history this past season.

"This [record] is a reflection of his ability," Murphy said.

The defensive coordinator is Mark Harriman, who comes most recently from Princeton, where he helped develop one of the strongest defenses in the Ivy League.

"He's intense, and will give everyone a shot," junior linebacker Bill Forlano said.

Murphy and Harriman plan to use a multiple eight-man defense.

Hank Hughes will serve as the defensive line coach, as he did at Cincinnati for Murphy. Prior to Cincinnati, Hughes was the defensive coordinator for the Montreal Machine of the World League.

He was a fine recruiter," Murphy said. "He has a strong work ethic, strong interpersonal skills, and good organization."

Murphy's defensive backs and special teams coach is Steve Sorkin, previously a defensive assistant at Columbia.

Sorkin has a strong Ivy League reputation as a recruiter, according a Murphy. In addition, he is a native Bostonian.

The lone holdover form the staff of former Head Coach Joe Restic is Vince Arduini, who will be the recruiting coordinator and running back coach.

"Continuity is helpful," Murphy said. "He'll help us get adjusted to the intricacies of Harvard University."

"[Arduini] is honest, tough, and demands a lot form his players," Kapetan said.

His main responsibility will be preparing the kicking game schemes for the special teams units.

Murphy emphasized the fact that the titles are really just a formality and that all the coaches will have input into each aspect of the game.

His goal was to form a brain trust of experienced, bright football minds to plan every facet of strategy.

The players were impressed with the enthusiasm and dedication of the new staff.

"Everyone is really ready to rally around him [Murphy] and his staff," Kapetan said. "I can't tell you how excited everyone is."