Patrick Murphy’s New Alabama Contract Makes Him One of NCAA Softball’s Highest-Paid Coaches
Patrick Murphy just tied for the third-highest paid NCAA softball coach.
The University of Alabama Board of Trustees Compensation Committee met on Monday and approved contract extensions for Murphy, athletics director Greg Byrne, and several other Crimson Tide coaches.
As Murphy heads into his 29th season at the helm, his contract has been approved through June 30, 2031, for an annual salary of $600,000.
With the Crimson Tide since 1999, he last received a deal in 2023 that paid him $530,000 annually through 2028. He now trails Oklahoma’s head coach Patty Gasso ($2.05 million), Texas’ Mike White ($625,000), and ties Florida State's Lonni Alameda ($600,000) on the list of highest-paid softball coaches.
Alabama softball coach Patrick Murphy getting a new deal through June 30, 2031 at $600,000 annually. That's up from $530,000 in his previous deal.
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) September 28, 2026
Murphy, the Tide's coach since 1999, will be 65 when his new deal expires in 2031.
This major salary boost for Murphy comes after an incredible 2026 season. The Crimson Tide entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed and made a semifinal run at the Women’s College World Series (WCWS) before falling twice to Texas Tech.
Alabama concluded the season with a 56-9 overall record, marking the most wins since 2019 and its highest winning percentage (.862) since 2012, when Murphy led the squad to a national title. The 2026 team also finished with 102 home runs, a .567 slugging percentage, and 26 shutouts, all of which became the second-highest season totals in program history.
Additionally, the young pitching staff featuring Jocelyn Briski, Vic Moten, Alea Johnson, Braya Hodges, and Kaitlyn Pallozzi held a .174 batting average against opponents, which ranked third all-time.
While Murphy’s resume is already packed with accolades, he continued to make additions in 2026, being named the SEC Coach of the Year. He owns a 1373-407 overall record at Alabama and a 508-207 record in SEC play. He became the first coach in SEC history to earn 500 conference wins, reaching the milestone with a 4-0 win at Auburn on April 11, 2026.
An SEC record sixth Coach of the Year honor for Patrick Murphy @UACoachMurphy x @SEC #Team30 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/lueIdlBZ8E
— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) May 8, 2026
Patrick Murphy’s Resume
- 16 Women's College World Series berths, with a 2012 National Championship
- 2013 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee
- 2022 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame inductee
- 27 NCAA Tournament appearances
- Six SEC regular season championships
- 11-time NFCA South Region Coaching Staff of the Year
- Three SEC Player of the Year winners
- Eight SEC Pitcher of the Year winners
- Nine SEC Freshman of the Year winners
Now preparing for the 2027 season, the Crimson Tide return 13 players from last year’s WCWS team, including NFCA All-Americans Briski and Wells, WCWS All-Tournament Team honoree Jena Young, and Moten and Pallozzi. Murphy battled in the offseason to grab transfers Karlee Ford (Iowa State), Noelani Livingston (Florida Southwestern) and Kailey Plumlee (Tennessee), and will debut freshmen Ava Briski, Ava Bush, Liv Keiter, Torynn Slaughter and Paige Stanfield.
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Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.
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