Bobby Murphy Reflects On Year One Of Portland Hearts of Pine
"With responsibility comes great power, and how you use that is really important."
This is the third and final article based on our conversation with Bobby Murphy on November 14. Part one focused on roster moves, and part two was about player growth.
It didn’t take long for Bobby Murphy to understand the magnitude of serving as the inaugural head coach and sporting director of Portland Hearts of Pine.
Seven days after it became official, Murphy addressed a sold-out crowd at the State Theatre, many attendees having bought jerseys sight unseen. Fans enthusiastically cheered his name despite Hearts having never played a game.
“Okay, this is real,” Murphy remembers thinking.
Moments like this–as well as the dramatic U.S. Open Cup run in Lewiston, ME, and 18 sold-out home matches at Fitzpatrick Stadium–have left him full of gratitude.
He appreciates the opportunity and recognizes the task.
“With responsibility comes great power, and how you use that is really important,” Murphy told The Blazing Musket.
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After stints in MLS, MLS Next Pro, and the USL Championship, Murphy relocated to Portland to take on the unique challenge of building the inaugural roster and culture for Hearts of Pine.
Former player and current coach Preston Burpo, who played with Murphy at Southern New Hampshire University, recalled early discussions about breakfast, gameday arrivals, player profiles, and more.
Every detail was critical, including the players’ personalities.
“Bobby likes people,” Burpo said. “He wanted people coming in with good energy, coming in excited to get to work, excited to learn. He wanted people to come in to ask questions.”
Murphy ultimately cultivated a young roster that represented the community. Burpo saw the team up close when he spent two weeks with Hearts during preseason.
Here, he saw a coach perfectly aligned with the club’s philosophy of “lead with your heart.”
“He thinks about people,” Burpo said. “He wants people to be happy. He puts people first ahead of himself. He thinks about how people are feeling.
“He thinks about Mikey Lopez’s day. Maybe Mikey Lopez had a tough day yesterday. How do I talk to him today? What does he need? What does Hunter Morse need? What does Kemali Green need today?
“He was constantly asking those questions. How do I get through? How do I get the most out of this guy today?”
Murphy takes the same approach when interacting with the fans. Burpo recalled making a detour on the way to watch an English Premier League game to buy pizzas.
It’s just another example of Murphy thinking of others.
“He put smiles on people’s faces when he was walking around this little bar. It was incredible,” Burpo said. “He’s literally the sporting director and coach of this club, and there he is walking around a bar handing out pizza to everyone. It was really cool.”
Murphy has maintained that connection with fans, most evident in the post-game lap around Fitzpatrick Stadium. This is when gifts and encouraging words are exchanged.
It’s a meaningful tradition that can be difficult after a loss.
“After a loss, you’d rather have them throw a beer at you at that moment, because it hurts worse when they say ‘thank you,’” Murphy joked. “Just the fact that people are grateful for what we’re doing now and that what we’re doing matters [means a lot].”
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Hearts’ first season was a special one for all involved, but there’s still plenty to achieve.
Murphy, who has been sober for 35 years, remembers the words of his sponsor: Constant ego deflation will save your life.
The people around him help with this, including his technical staff and family. He also likes to remind himself to stay evenkeeled.
“Having to just stay present in the moment, and be grateful,” Murphy said. “I tell the players this, no one ever said, ‘I wish I hadn’t been so grateful in that moment’ or ‘I wish I hadn’t had that little bit of humility.’”
He tries to live this way by doing small, daily actions, such as thanking everyone who helps make Hearts what it is.
“Those people who wear the red shirts at our stadium and put the boards up and down, we couldn’t do it without them,” Murphy said. “The fans, we’re talking about what a success we are, but we’re only a success because they come.”
Murphy and the staff are hard at work preparing for year two, having already added two new players: defender Brecc Evans, a member of the USL League One All-League Second Team, and winger Zion Scarlett, who has experience in USL League One and MLS Next Pro.
More is to come, as Murphy wants to push player recruitment in USL League One.
“Leave no stone unturned,” Murphy said.
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Back in December 2024, Murphy told aspiring players at the Hearts Pro Combine, “The things that make me happiest are when I’m useful to other people. I see a community here, a club here that I can be useful to.”
Murphy has found a home in Portland, in part because he and club founder Gabe Hoffman-Johnson believe that soccer “can change lives.”
Murphy has experienced most levels of domestic soccer, even coaching in sold-out MLS stadiums. While he still has plenty of ambitions, they don’t necessarily involve heading elsewhere.
“I know what I’m good at, and I know what makes me happy, and if I can find that intersection, then why would I make a choice for something else based on what someone else, or I might have one day, perceived as a step up?” Murphy asked.
He later added, “If I can keep having a positive impact here, on the club and on people, then I don’t see the need to go somewhere else.”
During a recent conversation with a pair of Hearts players, Murphy emphasized how unique it is to be part of the Hearts organization.
“Do you realize that you are more relevant in this community than probably most MLS players are in theirs?” Murphy remembers asking. “You have a bigger impact. No disrespect to guys in MLS clubs, but that’s the special thing we have here, is your relevance.”
Murphy, whose initial contract was for two years, according to the Portland Herald, understands the transient nature of professional coaching and notes that he could be dismissed at any time.
But he’s not focused on that. He’s focused on doing everything he can to help those involved with Maine’s soccer team.
“I’ve been gifted with this job, and I’ve been gifted with an ability to coach, but at the end of the day, I’m just another guy,” Murphy said. “So I have to remember that if I’m going to espouse certain values or a way to treat people that I think is important, that I have to be on the front line of that every day, whether that’s with my players, front office staff, or the guy on the street.”