When it comes to women’s sports in the Mining City, there should be no debate. Whether you are talking about an athlete or a coach, Meg Murphy is the best.

As an athlete, Murphy helped lead Butte Central to a state basketball title and two state track titles. She won the individual state title in the shot put as a junior and senior in 1981 and 1982. As a senior, she led the Maroons in scoring as BC went 23-1 and captured the school’s first girls’ basketball title.

Murphy, who played collegiately at Creighton University and Montana Tech, started coaching at a young age, and she did not stop until her retirement in March.

As a coach, Murphy led Butte Central to five state titles in two sports. Her teams won the state softball title in 1997, 1999 and 2000. Her last two title teams went undefeated, winning 52 straight games before she had to step down because she took over the Montana Tech women’s basketball program. BC’s 1996 team was a contender in 1996, but that year the State tournament we rained out.

In basketball, Murphy’s Maroons won it all in 2011 and 2016. The 2016 team went unbeaten. In all, Murphy guided the Maroons to 280 wins. She was inducted into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

Click here to listen in as Murphy talks about her great career as a player and a coach and the lifelong friendships the came from both.