DePaul University Athletics
Murer's Coaching Style is Straight From the Heart
5/3/2016 12:00:00 AM | TRACK AND FIELD
CHICAGO - The understated tenor and subtle approach to coaching belies Brandon Murer's striking impact on the DePaul track and field program.
In 10 previous seasons as the throws coach, Murer's student-athletes have competed in the NCAA Finals 16 times with 23 appearances in the NCAA First Round. They have won a total of 26 BIG EAST individual championships and been honored as Most Outstanding Field Performer four times. His throwers have gained All-American distinction eight times.
True to his nature, Murer deflects most of the credit.
"I tend to attribute our success to the talented athletes who come to our program," Murer said. "In my 11th year, my goal remains to have a connection in their lives and allow their talent to come out. More often than not, they rise to the occasion. They create their own destiny.
"In some ways, the throwers have been the front porch of the track program. A mentor once said to me there's no secret about technique. It's about how you communicate what you know. Anybody who is successful---it comes out of communication.
"These athletes come in and out of our life all the time, and when they make a concerted effort to stay on contact, you know you've made a connection. That connection is the key point where communication starts to happen."
Perhaps All-American shot putter Matt Babicz best exemplifies Murer's profound impact on his student-athletes.
Nothing came easy for the powerful Babicz who withstood a redshirt season and medical hardship year to persevere through six years in Lincoln Park---refusing to allow adversity to have its way. His one shining beacon in the dark times was the inspirational Brandon Murer.
"My relationship with coach Murer is much deeper than him just being my shot-put coach," Babicz said. "Aside from athletic impact, coach Murer had an even greater impact on my life. He is a lifelong mentor to me, and his life approach is something that I have been emulating ever since I met him. Coach lives every day with such positivity, and that has rubbed off on me. I've had the privilege of knowing him for nearly seven years, and I've experienced the ups and downs with him.
"Coach was faced with an extremely tough situation that involved the health of a family member. The positive manner in which he tackled the situation was truly inspiring and nothing short of amazing. If everyone could take a page out of coach Murer's book of life, it should be this page. I remember all the times coach would act as a therapist for me, and I am comfortable talking to him about anything. I hold our relationship so highly and cherish every moment I get to spend with him. The best part is---I know the feeling is mutual.
"We've shared so many great memories, but this story exemplifies the depth of our relationship. Coach Murer recently had a baby boy, Matteo Antonio Serrano Murer born on January 26, 2016. Coach invited me to his house just four days after Matteo was born. The most vivid and cherished memory I have involving coach was the moment he carefully laid baby Matteo into my arms with an exuberant smile on his face. There was a mutual feeling of utter joy that filled both our hearts. This moment has been permanently seared into my brain, and I know we will share more beautiful memories in the years to come."
A similar bond grew in the most unassuming way for Melissa Fraser who is hoping to represent Canada in the javelin throw at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
She frequently stopped by Murer's office just to say hello and would wind up spending two hours talking about music, family or a variety of topics.
"He was there for me through countless family matters over my career, and he was my champion after my ACL surgery in 2009," said Fraser who finished seventh in the javelin at last summer's Pan Am Games. "He always believed in me, and that confidence allowed me to come back stronger than before my surgery.
"Brandon Murer is someone I hold very close to my heart as he took a chance on me. He always wanted the best for me athletically and also impressed upon us the importance of being a well-rounded person. It was Murer's insistence on having fun and enjoying myself while throwing which I took with me into the Pan Ams. It really helped my perspective and had a calming effect on me during competition.
"He takes a genuine interest in your life, especially where your family is concerned. That is what I most treasure about my times with Murer, having someone to talk to about my homesickness or my nephew's health---he was always there."
There is an innate sense of humanity in the way Murer genuinely reaches out to make a seamless connection with his student-athletes.
"I've told recruits that I want to get to know them as a person," Murer said. "When they come to DePaul, what are their hopes and dreams? Above and beyond track, it's caring for them as people. I take the time to know something about them. It's not just show up here and throw a piece of metal really far. I've gotten to know so many student-athletes.
"All the athletes who come here are good throwers. They just don't know it yet. It's about actually believing in yourself and not having a false bravado. Not just track, but with all our student-athletes---DePaul's coaches spend a lot of time getting them to realize how good they are.
"We've had lots of success and also our share of failures. With the failures, you own them because it's how you define success. There's a certain aptitude for someone after he has fallen down. Matt Babicz encountered all kinds of obstacles including surgery. I have an appreciation for everything he did physically to overcome that---beyond anyone else who has come through our program."
Babicz had problems distinguishing one track coach from another during his recruiting process. After five minutes with Murer, he was headed to Lincoln Park.
"Brandon Murer has an incredibly unique coaching style that is undeniably effective," Babicz said. "His success has not happened by chance, and it comes from the ability to connect with his athletes on a very deep level. He is an unbelievable motivator, and his passion, desire, and belief in my abilities kept me motivated and allowed me to realize that I had unlimited potential.
"Coming out of high school, I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would become a Division I first-team All-American. Because of coach Murer's distinctive style, experience and unmatched passion, I was able to define extremely lofty athletic goals. I knew deep down that my goals were attainable with Brandon Murer at my side."
The genesis of Murer's people skills and coaching acumen is quite humble in its origin. It started at the age of 10 as Robert and Dianne Murer communicated on an adult level to their son while instilling the virtues of communication and learning from your mistakes. Young Brandon discovered how failure can be your greatest teacher while also learning to live with the decisions he made.
"I would work on weekend projects with my dad and learned how to succeed by owning my failures," Murer said. "I learned about hard work by helping out at my mom's restaurant, a fast- food place in Danville, Ind. called Cindy's that was right in front of my high school.
"I was washing windows at the age of 10 and wiping down tables and setting plates and silverware when I was 12. I was always communicating with people older than me, and to this day, I treat young people as adults. As a teenager, I slung burgers, cooked French fries, cleaned the grills and mopped the floors. I worked on weekends and in the summertime until I was 20."
Murer competed in soccer and track in high school and was a track walk-on at Indiana State where he came under the influence of throws coaches Ben Simon and Mark Rodriguez. From Simon he learned the positive effect of connecting with young people while Rodriguez showed him how to be patient with people while encouraging them to attain success.
That formula certainly worked with Tim Nedow.
"Brandon was a mentor for me in a number of ways," said Nedow, a shot putter who is training to compete for Canada in this summer's Olympics and was second in that event at last year's Pan Am Games. "As a coach, he saw the potential in a 15.78-meter thrower, and through his training there was steady improvement until my last season I hit the Olympic A standard of 20.51 meters.
"He was there as a friend. With his open-door policy, he was always around to answer questions or just chat when I needed someone to listen. Brandon was there to help out with school, track or a life issue. We have kept in touch over the years and catch up on what each of us is doing.
"One of my favorite track moments was my senior year at the BIG EAST Conference meet. On my last attempt after I let go of the shot, I knew I hit the throw. I could tell by the feel of the release that the throw was going to be big.
"When it landed, Brandon and I both let out a big scream. The distance was 20.51 meters, and I had finally hit the Olympic A standard. I was ecstatic, and Brandon's reaction was the same. I knew he felt the same pride as a coach that I did as an athlete---and our hug afterwards was a feel-good moment of a job well-done together."
Murer remembers how Nedow bounced back from disappointment.
"Tim came into the NCAA Outdoor Championships his senior year as one of the best discus throwers in the nation," Murer said. "That finals meet is a big pressure-cooker. He didn't have his best meet, and I had to decide what to say to him afterwards. I told him this wasn't the end of his career and he would learn from this. Four years later, he was seventh at the World Indoor Championships."
There have been some special times that Murer will never forget.
"As long as I live, the most thrilling moment was when Brad Millar won a conference title as a freshman," Murer said. "I really felt a sense of accomplishment. Every other BIG EAST and NCAA honor was just as important, but doing something the very first time really stands out.
"Another great memory was Matt Babicz becoming an All-American last year. Because of a red-shirt season and a medical hardship year, Matt was with our program for six years. I got to know him well over those six years, and a guy like that becomes part of your life.
"To see him succeed after all that he overcame was a very special moment."
Players Mentioned
