By: Ashley Washburn
BAILEYS HARBOR, Wis. — After nearly 18 years leading the Green Bay Packers, which included a Super Bowl and plenty of tough decisions, former president and CEO Mark Murphy is settling into retirement in a different kind of green: his golf course in Door County, Wisconsin.
TMJ4 Sports’ Ashley Washburn joined Murphy for a round at Maxwelton Braes, where the two discussed his days as a player in Washington to the franchise-shaping decisions that defined his tenure in Green Bay.
“Well, on the first tee, you hit until you’re happy,” Murphy laughed. “That’s the rule at Maxwelton Braes.”
Murphy’s journey to Green Bay began with his playing career in Washington (1977-84), where he won Super Bowl XVII.
…
On the day Murphy was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame, he had to share headlines with the team’s groundbreaking decision to draft edge rusher Micah Parsons.
“Somebody told me, and I said, no, that’s not true,” Murphy recalled. “That’s AI-generated. But yeah, I give Brian (Gutekunst) credit. He was stuck to his convictions, and when you have a chance to have an impact player like that.”
Murphy believes this year’s Packers team has special potential.
“This is our third year in a row where we’ve had the youngest team in the league, and those young players are developing and maturing,” he explained. “The other reality, it’s a young man’s league, and our players are really playing well. The other thing, I don’t know if he gets enough credit is Jeff Hafley. He’s done an amazing job. Boy, he’s made a huge difference. I’ve been very impressed. He’ll probably be a head coach in the NFL soon.”
Murphy shared an interesting piece of Maxwelton Braes history, explaining how the Los Angeles Rams practiced on the 11th fairway in the 1940s when teams would stay in the Midwest for extended periods due to expensive air travel.
In retirement, Murphy has taken on a role as Executive in Residence with UW-Green Bay’s athletic department.
“You know, I was an athletic director for 17, 18 years and really did miss that, and so it was an opportunity to get involved,” Murphy explained. “I kind of feel like I’m going back to my roots, where I started in college athletics. And it’s really a crazy time in college athletics with NIL and the transfer portal.”
When asked for any behind-the-scenes stories now that he’s no longer employed by the Packers, Murphy laughed off the suggestion.
“You want me to tell you some Aaron Rodgers stories? No. You’re not getting me to do that,” he laughed.
As we finished our round, Murphy offered a parting message to Packers fans.
“I was very honored to be in that position for that long,” he smiled on the 18th green. “It’s a pretty special organization, and hopefully I left it better than I found it, and I think they have a chance to have a pretty special year this year. It’s early, but things look pretty good.”
Source: Teeing it up with Mark Murphy: Inside his Packers legacy