Bob Murray
This alumni success story focuses on Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and English Graduate Bob Murray (’97). Bob is a rather unique alumni feature as he was at one time also an employee of Crandall!
What have you been up to since you left Crandall University?
After my time as a student at Crandall, formerly known as ABU, I headed to Briercrest College in Saskatchewan to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management. While pursuing my degree, I also took on employment at Briercrest, acting in an Admissions role, as well as in the Athletics Department as the college’s soccer coach. After graduating from Briercrest in 1999, I spent one year working full-time at Briercrest before I returned to Crandall (ABU) and with great excitement took on the role of Athletic Director. In this role, I became the first official full-time Athletic Director in ABC/ABU history. During that time we applied and were accepted into the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) and the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). When my time was complete at ABU I was honored by being put on the Crandall Athletics Hall of Fame Wall as both an Athlete and Director, which I consider to be one of the biggest highlights of my time in that role. Also during this time, not only was I working as an Athletic Director, but I was also pursuing a Master’s in Leadership Management from Briercrest.
I worked as the Athletic Director at Crandall University from 2000 to 2004, and during that four year span I reconnected with and married my wife, Kristal. Following my time at Crandall, I took on the role of Director of Athletics and Academic Director of Sport Management at Prairie College, meaning that it was time for my wife and me to make the trip from the Maritimes to the prairies of Alberta. I worked at Prairie College for four years from 2004 to 2008 and then became Director of Athletics at Olds College, also located in Alberta, where I stayed for a total of nine years from 2008 to 2017. My current position, which I have held for four years, is the Associate Director of Athletics at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). During my time in collegiate athletics in Alberta, I have been nominated multiple times for ACAC Athletics Director for the year and won it once, something I consider to be another big career accomplishment. Also since moving to Alberta, I have had numerous successes as a basketball coach, winning the Alberta High School provincial championship as well as the Basketball Canada National Bronze medal. I have since moved on to coaching my children in various sports.
Over the years, Kristal and I have welcomed six beautiful children to our family: Summer (14), Nash (13), Maverick (11), Jett (9), Noelle (7), and Winnie (2) with a seventh child expected to arrive in October!
How did Crandall prepare you for the future?
As a student I was heavily involved in leadership roles with residence, student council, and athletics, which would obviously go on to aid me in my sports leadership focused career. On top of my involvement in campus groups and sports, the time that I was able to spend with Dr. Seth Crowell, Dr. Stephen Dempster, Dr. Dannie Brown, and Chet MacPhail was incredibly influential to me and helped shape how I lead and interact with others.
ABC/ABU at that time were smaller in size but what its staff and students soon learned is that our heart and determination to punch above our weight class made us bigger than we could have ever expected. I have focused very hard on taking that same heart and determination with me and allowing it to impact both my personal and professional life.
