Add another one to the record books: Another former Sun Devil is a World Series champion.

In a 4-1 victory in Game 5 of the 2026 World Series, the Milwaukee Brewers successfully took down the Tampa Bay Rays to claim their first title in franchise history.

At the helm? Former ASU baseball manager Pat Murphy.

Over 20 years after Murphy was leading the Devils to the College World Series, the 67-year-old returned to a "World Series" setting. This time, the MLB's Fall Classic, ending in his first-ever championship at the college or professional level.

A World Series Sun Devil

Murphy joined Bobby Winkles as a former ASU manager who has won a World Series title.

However, Winkles' trip to the dance in 1974 with the Oakland Athletics was as their third-base coach, meaning Murphy is the first-ever former Sun Devil to win the World Series as the head team manager.

If you include players, Murphy joins an exclusive (along with uber talented) pool of former Sun Devils.

Pat Murphy (2026)

Austin Barnes (2017, 2018, 2020)

Ian Kinsler (2011, 2018)

Andre Ethier (2017)

Jason Kipnis (2016)

Dustin Pedroia (2007, 2013)

Barry Bonds (2002)

Ken Phelps (1989)

Marty Barrett (1986)

Reggie Jackson (1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981)

Ken Landreaux (1981)

Rick Monday (1977, 1978, 1981)

Larry Gura (1980)

Bobby Winkles* (1974)

Sal Bando (1972, 1973, 1974)

Duffy Dyer (1969)

Gary Gentry (1969)

Murphy is the first former Sun Devil to win a World Series in six years.

Murphy's Resume

Better update that Wikipedia page...

Pat Murphy:

4x Conference Regular Season Titles (PAC-10 2000, 2007-2009)

Youngest Collegiate Coach to reach 500 career victories (1998)

PAC-10 Coach of the Year (2000, 2007-2009)

PAC-10 Coach of the Year (2000, 2007-2009)

Four Trips to College World Series (1998, 2005, 2007, 2009)

2x NL Manager of the Year (2024, 2025)

2026 WORLD SERIES CHAMPION

What Murphy Thinks Of ASU Nowadays...

There were memorable times in Tempe during Murphy's tenure from 1995 to 2009, but it did not end in a memorable fashion.

Amid program investigations, Murphy resigned from the job in 2009, with reports from The Arizona Republic signaling that Murphy was pushed out the door by the school. The former ASU skipper would then go on to become a coach for the San Diego Padres in 2010.

Murphy talked about his days in Tempe earlier this month:

“I wasn’t a great coach,” Murphy told Cronkite Sports. “But we had some great baseball teams. I was really trying to find myself back then, trying to navigate life raising a son by myself. I was just trying like hell to be impactful. My ego was still involved, more than it should’ve been.”

Murphy has been on record calling his situation at ASU a "gross injustice", but he also takes a lot of accountability for how it all unfolded.

Murphy on the "Diggin' Deep" Podcast in 2025:

"I had a bullseye on me because I was really outgoing. I'd say whatever to anybody, I'd mess with anybody. So when they came around, I mean, the violations that they had. The girl that did the investigation never saw a college baseball game. She was fired a year and a half later for unethical conduct, not dealing with our case. But she had no idea what she was doing. She was a nervous wreck, and I handled it so bad. I was so bad to her,"

"I was so bad to the whole NCAA because I knew I did nothing wrong, and the ticky-tack stuff they're talking about. I'm like, that can't, that can't hook me. That didn't give us any competitive advantage,"

So that happened, and I'm like, and the president's like, the football team was already on probation, so the athletic department was on probation, and then we have other violations, which happened over and over, but they were ridiculous,"

"We didn't log our phone calls. I'm using a university phone. If I wanted to call you illegally, I'd use another phone. Like, we're using the university phone, so how's that? I just logged it, but because I didn't log it, it's a major violation."

What Now?

Pat Murphy will return to Arizona in February for MLB Spring Training (barring a lockout) with a fancy new title on his name tag: World Series champion. Just 20 minutes down the road from ASU's Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

ASU Baseball will look for their own World Series moment (In Omaha, not Tampa) when their season opens in February 2027.