— Oregon women’s basketball coach Kelly Graves hired a director of women’s basketball operations on Tuesday afternoon. Megan Murphy, who already works in the Ducks’ athletic department for both the softball and volleyball teams, will take on the role full-time for the women’s basketball team.
“She brings a ton of experience with two very successful programs,” Graves said. “She was working with both simultaneously, for heavens sake. That’s a tough job.”
Murphy will replace Stephenie Wheeler-Smith, who held the position for Graves’ first two seasons as coach. Graves said Wheeler-Smith is interested in coaching. The position at Oregon tends to be more administrative.
“We loved her and everything she did for us,” Graves said of Wheeler-Smith.
Graves said Murphy was “highly recommended and appreciated” by softball coach Mike White and volleyball coach Jim Moore. Next year will be her third season working for the school’s athletic department. She graduated from UO in 2009 and worked in minor league baseball before returning to Eugene.
Graves said her familiarity will be key, as the program has a foreign trip planned before school begins in the fall.
“She’s very organized and she can hit the ground running,” Graves said. “She knows where to stay on the road in the Pac-12. She knows all the ins and outs in the department.”
— Incoming Oregon freshman Ruthy Hebard was named to USA Basketball’s U18 team late last month. She will train July 2-8 in Colorado Springs, Colorado before departing for Chile on July 9 for the FIBA Americas U18 Championship.
A native of Fairbanks, Alaska, Hebard is ranked No. 40 overall by espnW and committed to the Ducks last August. She’s also a three-time Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year.
“I’m so thrilled for her,” Graves said. “This is going to be so good for Ruthy. What an honor. And she’s certainly up to it.”
Hebard said at first she couldn’t believe it was her name on the final list.
“It means a lot to me,” she said. “I tried out for the U16 team a few years ago and didn’t make it, so it shows me that I got better and that dreams do come true.”
Graves, who worked a coach for USA Basketball while coaching at Gonzaga, said he admires the organization as a whole.
“They’re so dialed in,” Graves said. “It’s incredible what she’s going to experience with them. The standard of excellence they’ve set — what an experience it’ll be for her.”
Hebard will blog during her journey for the Ducks to share her experience.
— Oregon associate head coach Mark Campbell was inducted into the Clackamas Community College Hall of Fame on June 4.
Though he played just one year in Oregon City, Campbell led his team to a 28-5 record while averaging 17 points and 10 assists. He was also named the Southern Region MVP.
In an interview last fall, Clackamas coach Clif Wegner said he knew early on Campbell would go on to become a coach.
“Nothing Mark can do will surprise me,” Wegner said last fall. “He’s personable, honest and sincere. Oregon is so lucky to have him on their staff.”
After Clackamas, Campbell played at Hawaii and eventually returned to Oregon City as a volunteer assistant coach.
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne