Whether interning, working as game day staff or selling tickets, Marty Murphy, now the associate athletics director for ticket sales and operations, has been working on campus since 2002. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
If you want to find someone who truly loves their job, look no further than the DePaul ticket office. Whether interning, working as game day staff or selling tickets, Marty Murphy, now the associate athletics director for ticket sales and operations, has been working on campus since 2002.
When Murphy officially joined the university community 15 years ago, he was no stranger to the Blue Demons. His father worked as an electrician at DePaul beginning in the 1980s, and would regularly take Murphy to basketball games. Being up close and personal with coaches and players encouraged his love for sports.
"At 12-years-old, these players were larger than life," Murphy recalls. "I grew up watching players like David Booth and Tom Kleinschmidt. At the collegiate level, fans can be more acquainted with the team; the players and coaches tend to be more fan-friendly."
When it was time for Murphy to determine where to attend college in 2002, the decision was easy to make.
"There was nowhere else I wanted to go," Murphy says. "My dad worked here, my sisters went here, it was only a 45 minute commute from home and I already had a great history with this university."
Once enrolled at DePaul, Murphy majored in marketing with a sales minor. This allowed him to focus his career behind the scenes in an industry he loved - sports. After graduating in 2006, he became a full-time ticket representative for the Chicago Bulls, followed by another full season as a sales executive with the Windy City ThunderBolts.
"I spent a lot of time on the phone selling season tickets to the fans," Murphy says. "It was great to see them attending games with their friends and families, creating memories that will last a lifetime. Knowing you played a roll in making that happen was a huge perk of the job."
Eventually, he made his way back to his beloved Blue Demons in 2013 and has been in the ticket office ever since.
This offseason has brought a new wave of joy to his job with the opening of Wintrust Arena. The opening of the new home for DePaul Blue Demons men's and women's basketball is now just around the corner. Whether in person, through email or over the phone, Murphy spends his time on campus chatting with people about the upcoming sports season and the new venue, encouraging the broader university community to be part of something special.
"It's all about the future," Murphy says of his excitement for the arena. "It's been a refreshing and fun ride to spread the news about this new opportunity for our university community. From graduation to basketball games, Wintrust Arena will be a place for faculty, staff, students and fans to gather for years to come."
Beyond ticket sales, on Thursdays and select Saturdays Murphy gives tours at the arena. With 10,000 seats, Wintrust Arena provides an intimate and welcoming atmosphere to fans. Murphy hopes the move back to the city will encourage the student body to come out and fill the Demon Deck, a space dedicated to student fans. He also believes the move will bring a bigger and better game-day experience to DePaul and the Chicago community.
"For me especially, DePaul feels like home," Murphy says. "The people here are number one; they make DePaul what it is. We are all working toward a common goal. I hope the arena will create lasting memories, keep traditions going and bring more affinity and school pride to DePaul and Chicago."