CAMBRIDGE -- After 30 seasons of continuously prowling back and forth, pacing in front of the Harvard University football bench, carving out a route worthy of the Colorado River, coach Tim Murphy, the Ivy League's all-time winningest coach, decided to hang up his whistle.
And with a hat tip to the "Eagles," there is now a new kid in town residing in the football offices located in the shadow of Harvard Stadium adjacent to the "dirty water" banks of the River Charles.
That "new kid's" name is Andrew Aurich the newly minted 31st head coach in the history of the Veritas footballers, a program whose storied lineage traces back 150-years to 1873, when President Ulysses S. Grant was smoking cigars and sipping whiskey in the White House.
The 41-year-old St. Paul, Minn. native, and Princeton '06 graduate, who has never been a head coach, arrived in Cambridge sporting an impressive coaching pedigree, and his hiring hearkens back to the words of a former Harvard alum, President John F. Kennedy, class '40, who said at his 1961 inaugural address; "Let the word go forth.... that the torch has been passed to a new generation..." and coach Aurich now comfortably carries that torch aloft.
Harvard's new headman was bitten by the coaching bug in the same way that sons often follow in their dad's footsteps when choosing their professional career.
He arrived at his decision inspired by observing the passion for the job that his father always exuded during his twenty-five-year tenure as the successful coach, Athletic Director, and Hall of Fame member of Concordia Academy, located in Roseville, Minnesota.
"I got into coaching because of my dad. When I watched the relationships that he built with his players, and the positive impact that he had on their lives, I knew that was what I wanted to do for my career," said Aurich.
And with a nod to "The Beatles" the coach began his "long and winding" nomadic sojourn by first returning to his alma mater of Concordia Academy and working as an assistant.
Aurich got his first big break when he was hired as a tight ends coach for Division III Albright College, a tiny Liberal Arts school located in Reading, Pa. working under the tutelage of coach John Marzka.
"Our staff was a bunch of young guys, and I was one of the five," he said.
"Coach Marzka gave me my first opportunity to recruit, and game plan, and as a former offensive lineman he taught me the foundation of the passing game," said Coach Aurich. "But more importantly during my time there it reinforced that my goal of becoming a head coach was absolutely the right decision."
In 2009, after spending two seasons at Albright College, Aurich jumped at the opportunity to work for the Div. 1 program at Rutgers University, where he coached for two seasons, before returning as an assistant for the "Sons of Dick Kazmaier," and the familiar surroundings of Princeton University football.
And except for a one-year hiatus as a staff member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Harvard's new headman would spend eight years on the staff of the Tigers polishing the intricacies of his coaching craft.
At Princeton, Aurich developed what he referred to as his independent coaching philosophy, working his way up the ladder coaching the running backs, the tight ends, special teams, and eventually serving as the offensive coordinator, which he credits for giving him a true understanding of the passing game.
He also highlighted the hidden value of being a special teams coordinator, as well as the importance of building genuine relationships on the recruiting trail and not simply operating as a roving salesman.
"When you are a special teams coach, you get to speak in front of the entire team several times a week, which is incredibly valuable, especially if your overall goal is to become a head coach," he said.
"And when I am out on the recruiting trail, honesty, and creating strong personal relationships with the players that I was recruiting were the most important ingredients to success."
In 2020, Aurich returned to the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers working under the direction of head coach Greg Schiano, and that is where he felt he earned what he refers to as, "a PhD in the profession of coaching".
"My time there not only taught me the technical knowledge of the game, but it also taught me the importance of culture building and how to recruit. It made me not only head coach ready, but ready to be a highly successful coach," said Aurich.
The Crimson's new man also believes in an offensive approach that is as simple as buying a game day beer and a hot dog.
"I want my play-makers to get the ball. So, whoever your play-makers are, it is simply about getting them touches. Those are the guys who deserve the touches," said the coach.
Brilliant!
And as the "Ten Thousand Men of Harvard" are about to embark on their 151st football season, its new coach stressed the importance of practice preparation intertwined with the building block of a strong rapport with his players, including a strong focus on player safety.
"These players love to be challenged to be the best they can be. And during practice it is up to me, the head coach, to set the standard for all the other coaches to see. This is a team sport, and if one of the eleven guys is somehow out of sync the entire operation fails," he said.
Aurich also spoke about the legacy of Harvard and its football program.
"Harvard is the standard of the Ivy League. The name is known the world over. It checks all the boxes. We get the top recruits, and the most talented players. But equally important is my relationships with the players. It is my job to show them how much I care,and to get to know them on a deeper level."
"I'm in the locker room all the time, where sometimes you will hear conversations about what is going on with their lives, and I make it a point to let them know that my office door is always open for a conversation," he said.
The new head coach of Crimson is thrilled for this well-earned opportunity and is itching to finally get the season underway which opens against Stetson University on Saturday.
"The foundation that is here was set by Coach Murphy, and along with some staff holdovers which keeps the program's continuity, we are going to win a lot of games," said Aurich with confidence.
The Harvard band better brush up on its fight song "Ten Thousand Men of Harvard." Aurich is counting on listening to it reverberate throughout the stadium early and often.