WAUKESHA, Wis. – Carroll University has announced the hiring of Brianna Murphy as Head Coach of the Pioneers women's basketball program. Murphy arrives at Carroll following two seasons as an assistant coach at Division II Maryville University in Missouri, bringing experience at the collegiate, high school, club, and player development levels.
Murphy has served as an assistant coach at Maryville since 2024, helping guide the Saints to a 41-22 record over the past two seasons, including Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament runner-up and championship finishes in 2025 and 2026, respectively. During her tenure, Maryville posted a 25-7 mark in 2025-26, the best record in program history since transitioning to NCAA Division II, and produced eight all-conference selections, including a Freshman of the Year and the conference's single-season assist record holder.
At Maryville, Murphy has played a key role in all aspects of the program, including opponent scouting, film analysis, recruiting, player development, academic monitoring, and game management. She has worked extensively with student-athletes through individual skill development and position-specific training while helping coordinate travel, scheduling, and day-to-day team operations.
Prior to her time at the collegiate level, Murphy served as Head Varsity Coach at Monona Grove High School from 2022-24, where she compiled a 36-16 record and led the program to a regional championship in 2023. She also spent time as Director and Head Coach for Let It Rain AAU, overseeing operations for 16 teams and more than 160 athletes, while simultaneously working as a basketball trainer and business development manager with I'm Possible Training in Madison. Her coaching career began as a varsity assistant at McFarland High School.
Murphy expressed excitement about the opportunity to lead the program and continue building upon the strong foundation established within Carroll women's basketball.
"I'm honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead the Carroll Women's Basketball Program. Carroll's commitment to academic excellence, student-athlete development, and community engagement aligns strongly with my values as a coach. I'm excited to build a tight-knit culture and aid in the growth of our athletes on and off the court. My goal is to build and uphold a winning program that our players, alumni, campus, and community are proud of. I can't wait to get started!"
Carroll Director of Athletics Mike Schulist said Murphy stood out throughout the search process because of her energy, commitment to student-athlete development, and vision for the future of the program.
"Coach Murphy checked all the boxes when looking for our next head women's basketball coach. Coach has endless energy, a strong understanding of the game, and places a high priority on skill development and relationship building with her student-athletes. I am excited to work alongside Coach Murphy and continue to make Carroll women's basketball a nationally recognized program."
Murphy earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2019 and later completed a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from Wisconsin in 2021. As a student, she was named UW-Madison Club Female Athlete of the Year in 2019 and helped lead her club basketball team to a national championship in 2017.
Murphy takes over a Carroll program coming off one of the most successful seasons in school history, highlighted by a share of the CCIW regular-season championship and an NCAA Tournament victory on its home floor. With a strong foundation already in place, she will look to build upon that momentum as the Pioneers continue their pursuit of conference championships and national postseason success.
