MILWAUKEE – The Brewers have long valued continuity in their personnel decisions and used that philosophy in selecting their new manager.
A source confirmed to MLB.com that the Brewers are finalizing plans to promote Pat Murphy to manager after he was Milwaukee’s backup coach for the last eight seasons, as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal first reported Monday night. The source also said that former Milwaukee infielder Rickie Weeks was expected to join the major league staff to fill Murphy’s spot, continuing his meteoric rise through the coaching ranks that began with the hiring of Weeks as a player development assistant in February 2022 began.
The club has not confirmed either promotion. Murphy, who turns 65 later this month, was the only managerial candidate mentioned by name by Milwaukee GM Matt Arnold since the search began last week with the departure of Craig Counsell to the Cubs.
Murphy would take over a largely intact coaching staff, as Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said last week that the team’s other coaches had all signed contracts to return in 2024. They are pitching coach Chris Hook; bullpen coach Jim Henderson; associate pitching, catching and strategy coach Walker McKinven; hitting coaches Ozzie Timmons and Connor Dawson; first base coach Quintin Berry; and third base coach Jason Lane. They were joined by the 41-year-old Weeks, who was the second overall pick in the 2003 draft and played 14 seasons in the majors, including with the Brewers (11 seasons) and three other teams, making the National All-Star team League was founded with Milwaukee in 2011.
At the helm is Murphy, who was Counsell’s college coach at Notre Dame and came to Milwaukee as a relief coach in 2016 when Counsell began his first full season at the helm. Before that, Murphy spent decades in the collegiate ranks, leading programs at Notre Dame and Arizona State before breaking into pro ball with the Padres. Murphy gained some major league managerial experience in an interim role with the Padres in 2015, compiling a 42-54 record.
When asked what qualities he was looking for in the next manager, Arnold said: “I want to start with the best person, that’s probably how I would characterize it.” It’s hard to go wrong when, when you look at the scouting Scale used, has an 80s person. I think that would be our priority here.”
Murphy played minor league baseball for four years before Notre Dame hired him prior to the 1988 college season. It was in Murphy’s second season when Counsell arrived on campus and began a relationship that continued as Counsell moved on to pro ball and Murphy became the head coach at Arizona State before the Padres hired him, first as a special assistant in 2010 and then in the minors starting in 2011 -League Manager. In 2015, Murphy was managing San Diego’s Triple-A team when Counsell tried to hire him as a backup coach. The Padres refused permission and ultimately named Murphy interim manager in the majors later that season.
The following year, Murphy joined the Brewers team and has been in Milwaukee ever since. He suffered a heart attack in 2020 during what was known as “summer camp” as teams prepared for the pandemic-shortened schedule, but Murphy made a full recovery and has not suffered any health-related absences since.