New football coach close to NU

The play begins and the defense holds the opposing team to a gain of just two yards.

But there is a flag on the play and Mark Murnyack does not agree with the call. He paces up and down the sidelines and argues with the official.

He turns to his defensive players and gets them motivated for another series. His players jump up and take the field.

Next season Murnyack will no longer coach just defense but will take on the role of head football coach for Norwich, replacing the retiring Shawn McIntyre.

"I was honored and excited about this position, I feel like I know the university and I know the kids," said the newly appointed head coach.

Murnyack has been with Norwich for nine years as defensive coach, also serving as director of football operations.

"The first thing that we did was talk to our current guys on the roster and make sure that they knew the direction that we were headed. I wanted to make sure that they felt good about that. We had a couple meetings about the direction of the program and the goals that we had and the things that we were going do to continue the recent success," Murnyack said.

"I am excited about him getting the head job. I think everyone in the organization is excited for him. It is his time; he's paid his dues and he is most definitely ready to take the wheel," said Rocco DiMeco, a 22-year-old senior physical education major from Worcester, Mass.

This season, NU's football team had one of the best defenses in the league with Murnyack as its coordinator.

"He is a passionate coach, an intense motivator, and vastly knowledgeable about every aspect of the game of football," said Zak Sucharski, 21, senior criminal justice major from Buffalo, N.Y.

Though Murnyack is a new head coach he knows the team's traditions and values and plans to keep them. "There is a good foundation in place, there is nothing broken with Norwich football," Murnyack said.

"The Norwich football program is built on tradition and while certain things may be spun and fine tuned Coach Murn knows what makes our team tick," Sucharski said. There have already been some changes to the team.

"Since the departure of Coach Mac, the seniors along with Coach Murnyack have been stressing the importance of family and that we all have to do it together. Coach Murnyack becoming our head coach has made all of the guys closer. We are not just a team anymore. We are a family," said Jason Hill, a 20-year-old junior business management major from Canajoharie, N.Y.

In the off season the football staff is bringing recruits to visit Norwich, already thinking of next season.

"We'll take a look at things in the off season, as we would every off season. What can we do better on both sides of the ball, how do we coach better, how do we teach better. Those types of things we always look at," Murnyack said.The players hold Murnyack in high regard.

"He already has all of the players' respect, and I feel that he will run a very disciplined and sound program. With him at the reins there is no doubt in my mind, that we will be the most disciplined and well-conditioned team on our schedule," Hill said.

The team is graduating 26 seniors this year and will have to bring in players to fill that void.

"A lot of people are already counting us out. … So the thing I am looking forward to most is shocking people. We are ready to shock a lot of people and turn some heads. We've got high expectations for ourselves, and we are all working very hard this off season so that this fall we can accomplish our goals," Hill said.

"I firmly believe Norwich football will ascend even further under Coach Murn's leadership," Sucharski said.