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Murray takes reins of Sheldon basketball program
Bronaugh High School alum Dusty Murray has been named the new head boys' basketball coach of the Sheldon Panthers, replacing Tyler Judd. Murray will also serve as the head girls' varsity basketball coach, replacing interim coach Jason Irwin, who was recently named the Sheldon R-8 Superintendent.
Murray, 33, who attended Fort Scott Community College and finished his degree at Pittsburg State University, will teach K-12 PE/Health at Sheldon.
"I was very fortunate to have a broad spectrum of coaches, from my youth in Nevada to my high school years at Bronaugh," Murray said. "My teaching experience comes from the middle school (level), working with special needs children in Pittsburg classrooms."
Murray added that he spent time in Fort Collins, Colo., coaching Upward Bound and youth sports, while working with his cousins at the College and Career Ministry and First Baptist Church.
A Nevada native, Murray said he was blessed to have been able to play under some great coaches.
"During my youth Kevin Swope coached my little league baseball teams, and I learned about commitment to being a team-player," Murray said. "Coach (Robert) Watts taught me about being relentless in football and wrestling during junior high."
Murray attended Nevada-R-5 until the latter part of his freshman year, when he transferred to Bronaugh. He said that then NHS freshman basketball coach Phil Gordon and former Bronaugh basketball coach Tim Judd were very influential to him.
"Coach Gordon never gave up on me, taught me about mutual respect from a coach and player, and taught me to believe in myself," Murray said.
Murray continued, "When I transferred to Bronaugh, Tim was a huge influence on me. He didn't look at me as a transfer, but as someone he committed to take under his wing, and really showed me that you have to roll up your sleeves, dedicate your time, and sacrifice a lot of yourself to show how much you care about your players. He was a huge male role model in my life when I was struggling to have that at that time.
"If it hadn't been for him, I don't think I would have been accepted as much by the community. These are very high-quality coaches and human beings, and in terms of basketball I take a lot of comfort in developing coach Gordon and coach Judd's philosophies onto the court as I coach the Sheldon Panther teams."
Murray said he has already set forth specific goals for the 2016-17 season.
"We will compete the best we can, each practice and each game," he said, "and our athletes will grow from where they were when they started the season to when the season ends. The growth will be on the court and outside the court, in the classroom and in the community, as community ambassadors for the Sheldon area.
"With all this in mind, and with a lot of effort on the students' and the coaching staffs' part, the effort should result in positive contributions and a solid showing within our conference; and should create the footprint on our district-play of what Sheldon Panther basketball is all about."
Murray, who will also coach Sheldon junior high boys basketball, said he will devise game-plans based on his opponents strengths and weaknesses.
"We will be a smart team and a hard-effort team," Murray said. "Win or lose, those two things will show themselves each week."
Murray said he was "beyond ecstatic" upon being offered the Sheldon position.
"The small communities do not get the respect they deserve most of the time," he said, "and Sheldon School has a very bright present and future ahead of it. This is a community that any teacher would be excited to be a part of. I am looking forward to getting to know the students, faculty, and community and to coach some great kids along the way.
"I want the community to feel excited about the upcoming season and school year, and can't wait for them to come out and support the teams and the kids." Murray is married to wife Laura, and the couple has two dogs and a cat.