McGill-Toolen coach Phillip Murphy begins big week by welcoming leap year baby

Posted March 8, 2016


McGill-Toolen coach Phillip Murphy begins big week by welcoming leap year baby
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McGill-Toolen coach Phillip Murphy begins big week by welcoming leap year baby

 
McGill-Toolen coach Phillip Murphy begins big week by welcoming leap year baby
McGill-Toolen boys basketball coach holds his fourth child -- Ellison Greer -- following her birth Monday morning. (Contributed)
By Ben Thomas | bthomas@al.com 
on February 29, 2016 1:27 PM
1.4kshares

This almost certainly will be one of the most memorable weeks in the life of McGill-Toolen boys basketball coach Phillip Murphy and his family.

It certainly got off to a banner start on Monday morning.

RELATED: STATE SEMIFINAL PAIRINGS, BRACKETOLOGY

Murphy’s wife, Brandi, gave birth to the couple’s fourth child – the first girl – at 7:55 a.m. Ellison Greer Murphy is one of the first – if not the first – leap year baby born in Mobile in 2016.

“Both mother and daughter are doing great,” Murphy said. “We couldn’t ask for anything more perfect.”

Phillip Murphy's three boys -- Myles, Jackson and Basil -- hold the newest addition to the family, Ellison Greer.(Contributed)

Ellison’s arrival time couldn’t have been better. It came the week after Murphy’s Yellow Jackets won the Class 7A South Regional title in Dothan and two days before the team leaves to compete in the state semifinals in Birmingham.

McGill (27-6) will face defending state champHoover (16-18) on Thursday at Legacy Arena in Birmingham.

“Brandi has granted me permission to go ahead to Birmingham,” Murphy joked. “We will have some family members here to take care of things. I’ll be at the hospital as much as possible today and tomorrow and then we’ll try and go bring this title home.”

Murphy said he would be at the Jackets practice Monday afternoon and again Tuesday morning. The team will leave Wednesday for Birmingham. If McGill wins Thursday, it will stay over until Saturday’s 5:45 p.m. final against the winner of the other 7A semifinal between Spain Park and Central-Phenix City.

It’s been an emotional two years for the Murphys. They lost a fourth boy (Ellis Monroe) in December of 2014. They went for the 20-week checkup and doctors found there was no fetal movement. Murphy said he and Brandi debated about whether to try and have another child following the emotional loss.

“Obviously it was a tough deal for us as it is for any parents who lose a child,” Murphy said. “We hurt for a while after we buried him and still do over that loss. But we wanted to have a girl and we talked about that, at our age, now was the time if we were going to try. God just has blessed us again.”

Brandi and Phillip already have three boys -- Myles (12), Jackson (9) and Basil (5). Murphy checked them out of school Monday so they could hold the new baby.

“They were pumped,” he said. “We were going to wait until after school, but I couldn’t. I went to get them and then checked them back in after they got to see her.”

Ellison was born at Mobile Infirmary. She is 7.3 pounds, 20 inches.

“It’s been a big relief and a great joy obviously,” Murphy said. “I told my wife and I don’t know why, but I was more anxious about this baby than the other three. It might have been because we just lost one or because we are still playing basketball and I was worried about not being here or both.

“But to see Ellison and hold her – again, it just puts everything into perspective. I can relax a little in Birmingham and focus on the team and the games.”

Murphy said the family already has debated on how to celebrate Ellison’s birthday each year since Feb. 29 only comes around every four years.

“Maybe we will just have a huge bash every four years,” Murphy said. “We’ll figure out something.”



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