Erin Murray, the head coach of the Orono girls soccer team, recently won two awards recognizing her excellent coaching. Murray was named Minnesota Coach of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), and was later named Regional Coach of the Year by the NSCAA.

These awards recognize knowledge of the game, team image and conduct, the community involvement and support of the team. Individual coaches are nominated through a voting process in which every member of the NSCAA votes for a coach to win their state’s Coach of the Year award. The winner then fills out an e-mailed bio to apply for the regional Coach of the Year.

Upon winning the awards, Murray was “really surprised” and “honored,” especially for the regional Coach of the Year. Winners are invited to Philadelphia, PA January 14-16 for an awards ceremony, but Murray did not attend.

Led by Murray, the Spartans shined on the field, finishing as Class A state champions with an overall record of 19-2-1. Although Murray says they “always set their goal as being state champions,” this team, and the chemistry they exhibited, exceeded expectations. The state championship is every coach’s dream, an “awesome and exciting” feeling in Murray’s words.

With all the individual praise she is receiving, Murray directs a lot of praise towards her team and coaching staff, stating that “it’s nice to win the award, but the team was also a big part of me getting that award.” She also credited her assistant coaches and their efforts with enabling her to win the awards.