National basketball group selects Dexter coach

The Sports OBSERVER
By Ernie Clark

DEXTER — Peter Murray has been the picture of stability on the sidelines as the boys varsity basketball coach at Dexter Regional High School for the past 23 years.

And stability at Dexter is saying something, given that the Tigers have had just two head coaches since 1967 — Murray and the legendary Ed Guiski, who will be inducted posthumously into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame next month.

A solid record of accomplishment has ensued during Murray’s tenure that includes 260 victories, 15 postseason appearances, two trips to the Eastern Maine finals and a Class C regional championship in 2005.

The Tigers, 12-6 a year ago, also figure to be among the top teams in Class C North again next winter led by a strong returning senior class.

But Murray’s impact on the sport in Maine goes beyond those achievements and his veteran status in the area’s basketball coaching community.

The veteran high school English teacher has played a key role in the work of the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches for years, currently serving as that organization’s president.

The MABC may be best known for organizing the annual McDonald’s East-West Senior All-Star Weekend in Bangor after each high school basketball season as well as the related Mr. Basketball award and other postseason honors recognizing outstanding achievement in the sport by players, coaches and others who contribute to the game.

The MABC also advocates on behalf of the state’s coaching community and the best interests of the sport as well as sponsoring coaching workshops, networking opportunities and other activities to enhance the profession in Maine.

Murray now will have the chance to impact the sport at the national level after being elected last week to serve a two-year term on the executive board of the National High School Basketball Coaches Association.

Murray’s selection came during the NHSBCA’s annual business meeting held in Kansas City, Missouri, as part of the organization’s summer convention.

Murray becomes the first representative from a New England state to serve on the NHSBCA executive board.