Steve Murphy has shed the interim tag in his title after being named the fourth head coach in the Buffalo State men’s ice hockey team’s 23-year history, the Buffalo State Athletic Department announced on Tuesday.

Murphy was named the interim head coach last summer, replacing longtime head coach Nick Carriere, who was hired as the assistant coach of the St. John’s Ice Caps of the American Hockey League.

The Bengals finished the 2015-16 season with a 15-7-4 record, the most wins in program history. Buffalo State finished with the second seed in the SUNYAC playoffs, also a program record.

Murphy joined the program in 2013 as an assistant and has had experience as a coach, referee, scout and player. His previous stints included a stint as the head coach of the Alaska-All Stars U-16 team in his home state as well as time as assistant coach/head of player personnel for the Steele County Blades in the Minnesota Junior Hockey League.

He will begin the process of bringing the Bengals back to the SUNYAC playoffs, where they fell in the semifinals against eventual SUNYAC Champions Geneseo.

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