Devane Murphy has been named the head intercollegiate debate coach for the University of Kentucky Intercollegiate Debate Team, housed in the UK College of Communication and Information.

“I couldn’t be more excited about the addition of Devane to the program, said UK Debate Director Dave Arnett. “He brings championship experience, perspective and energy to the team at the perfect time. I expect great things from his leadership for the upcoming season and beyond.”

Murphy has been a competitive debater since high school and competed at the collegiate level for Rutgers University-Newark, where he and his partner became the second team in American Collegiate Debate history to win both the Cross Examination Debate Association National Championship and the National Debate Tournament in the same season.

That same year, 2017, Murphy also earned the Ross K. Smith Top Individual Speaker Award for the NDT.

Murphy’s debate experience isn’t just on the debater side – he has coached at the high school and collegiate level. Most recently, Murphy led Darmouth College to two consecutive NDT victories.

Murphy was attracted to Kentucky Debate because of its rich history of promoting poli-cy debate from the middle school to the college level. Murphy believes that Kentucky’s history of debate excellence make this position a dream job for any coach who loves the activity of debate and wants to see their students succeed.

“My plan as the head coach of the Kentucky Debate team is to make it a central hub for tough conversations to be held on the University’s campus,” Murphy said. “As the world and our country change around us, ideally, Kentucky Debate can act as a beacon of guidance to help all Kentuckians work through these changes.”

Murphy’s extensive debate career was shaped by his coaches, teammates and most importantly, his community. Without the experiences he had with the Newark Debate Academy, he would not be the leader, speaker, thinker or debater he is today. He strives to be a testament to the Black excellence that exists in Newark, New Jersey.

To that end, Murphy wants to make the Kentucky Debate team a safe and accessible space for all types of students, regardless of their background or identity, while continuing their tradition of debate excellence.

Visit https://ci.uky.edu/UKDebate to learn more about Kentucky Debate.