Valley coach opts to take Centennial grid post

Although Centennial High School will be a newcomer on the prep sports scene next fall, the Bulldogs will have a familiar face leading their football team.

After five years at Valley, Greg Murphy has accepted the head football coaching position at the new school in the northwest part of town, which will open this August.

Murphy, 35, compiled a 25-24 record with the Vikings, leading the squad to a pair of Sunrise Division titles in 1996 and '97, a berth in the 4A Southern Zone title game in 1996 and three straight trips to the playoffs.

Murphy rejoins new Centennial principal Carol Leavitt, who served as principal at Valley throughout Murphy's tenure.

"She gave me my first opportunity in the Clark County School District, so I'm thankful for that," Murphy said. "But it's hard leaving Valley High School because of all the relationships I've built up with the kids."

Murphy will also chair Centennial's physical education department, a position he held at Valley the past two years.

"I've had the opportunity to see his program move forward every year, so we're real excited about it," Centennial athletic administrator Pat Hayden said.

The Bulldogs, who will draw students from areas currently zoned for Cimarron-Memorial and Cheyenne, will spend their first football season as an independent squad before joining the Sunset Division in 2000.

Centennial is tentatively scheduled to play several 4A schools, including Murphy's old Valley team, Rancho, Bonanza and Clark, along with fellow new schools Desert Pines and Foothill. The Bulldogs will fill out their nine-game schedule against 3A schools Mopa Valley and Virgin Valley and 2A opponent The Meadows.

"We just want to work from the ground up," Murphy said. "We just want to try to get the kids on the same page as soon as possible. Hopefully, we'll get some good juniors and sophomores out there, but it's going to start with the freshmen on up."

Before coming to Valley, Murphy coached high school football in California and served as a graduate assistant at UNLV under former coach Wayne Nunnely.

Murphy's departure leaves five 4A head football coaching jobs open in town: Valley, Green Valley, Rancho, Desert Pines and Foothill.

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