Harvard’s Tim Murphy, the winningest head football coach in Ivy league history, stepped down on Wednesday after 30 seasons patrolling the Crimson’s sidelines.

Murphy, 67, gave no indication after Harvard’s 23-18 loss to Yale in New Haven, Conn., on Nov. 18 that he had just concluded his final season. With the loss, Harvard ended in a three-way tie with Yale and Dartmouth for the Ivy League title, the record 10th on Murphy’s watch.

“Harvard University has been a very special place for my family and me,” said Murphy in a prepared statement. “I am graduating from a profession that has not only been a job, but other than my family and close friends, it has been the passion in my life for the past 45 years.”

Erin McDermott, the ninth athletic director in Harvard history, will have to make the signature hire of her tenure and there is a strong possibility she will look in-house.

The two likely candidates are Harvard alumni, quarterbacks coach Joel Lamb (1993) and defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Scott Larkee (1999). Both are long-time Murphy assistants and former Crimson players.

Lamb was a Herald All-Scholastic quarterback from Natick High School who finished his 18th season instructing a long stream of successful Crimson passers. Lamb served in the same capacity at Yale for nine seasons. Larkee is a former Harvard linebacker who just wrapped up his 17th season as a Harvard assistant accumulated over two stints. The outside possibility would be Columbia head coach Jon Poppe, a Williams College graduate who served two stretches on Murphy’s staff from 2011-14 and 2017-22.

“It has been an incredible honor to be the football coach at Harvard and I am forever grateful to have been blessed to work with so many amazing people starting with the 1,000 student athletes and 80-plus coaches during my tenure here,” said Murphy.

Murphy was hired in 1994 to replace Joe Restic, a decorated WW II veteran and practitioner of the Veer offense who guided the Harvard program for 23 seasons from 1971-93. Restic finished with an overall record of 117-96-6, with a high-water mark of 8-2 in 1987.

Murphy departs Cambridge with an overall record of 200-89, a significant accomplishment considering Harvard plays 10 regular season games, not 12 like other programs.

The Ivy League does not hold a post-season championship game and Harvard, much to Murphy’s chagrin, by rule does not compete in the FCS playoffs. Most other Harvard sports participate in league and NCAA post-season tournaments, but every football season ends with the Yale game.

Murphy hit a major milestone in 2023 with Crimson’s 17-9 home win against Dartmouth when he broke Yale legend Carm Cozza’s record of 135 wins against Ivy League opponents. Murphy finished with 141 conference victories and was 19-10 against Yale in the annual event known as “The Game.”

Murphy finished .500 or better in 23 seasons and went undefeated (9-0) in 2001 and 10-0 in 2004 and 2014, the only three-time unbeaten coach since the league was formed in 1956.

Murphy’s quarterback in 2004 was Ryan Fitzpatrick, who went on to play 17 seasons in the NFL. Murphy has been left to wonder what Harvard could have accomplished in the FCS playoffs with Fitzpatrick under center.

“Harvard has 150 years of football history and Tim Murphy led the most successful era of its entirety in his 30 seasons,” said McDermott. “His name will be forever linked with Harvard football in an exalted manner because of the sustained team success, coaching milestones achieved and the measure of his character and work ethic.

“Coach Murphy changed Ivy League football upon his entry and we are all better for it. Harvard is grateful for his service and leadership and I am grateful to have experienced these last few seasons with him.”