Now in his 23rd season (no season was held in 2021 due to Covid-19) with the Falcon coaching staff, Bud Murray is also the father of head coach Kodee Murray. Coach Murray has been a coach at the high school, community college and Division I level, as well as with college, semi-pro and women’s professional fastpitch teams. His experiences with both baseball and softball spans over 50 years, which makes him a valuable asset to the Falcon staff.

While the head baseball coach at Hart High School, Murray led his teams to 26 league titles and they won the 1999 CIF Southern Section Division II Championship. Upon his retirement from the school, Murray had his number (30) retired and the field was renamed in his honor. Back in 2004, he was named the California Baseball Coach of the Year, while he compiled an amazing 516-176 record during his 39 years of coaching high school and community college baseball.

In addition to coaching at Hart High, Murray also spent time at Los Angeles Pierce College, Los Angeles Mission College, Cal State Northridge and the Wenatchee Apple Sox, a minor league baseball team in Washington. He also spent time as the Tampa Bay Fire Stix assistant coach, which is a women’s fastpitch softball team.

Upon graduation from high school in Scottsbluff, NE, where he lettered in football, basketball and track, Murray transferred to Nebraska State College (now Chadron State College) on a basketball scholarship. His high school did not have a baseball team, so he spent his extra time playing American Legion baseball. In 1955, Murray earned All-State honors in basketball after his team won the state championship. In the finals, Murray scored a record 33 points.

A former professional baseball player himself, Murray spent four years (1955-58) within the Brooklyn Dodgers/Los Angeles Dodgers organization as a pitcher. He played for the Shawnee Hawks, Reno Silver Sox and Thomasville Dodgers during his career before an injury ended his playing career.

Murray earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Science at Nebraska State College and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1991.