Wilmington honors longtime coaches with gym dedications at MLK Center
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Two men who spent decades coaching, mentoring, and inspiring generations of young people in Wilmington were honored Friday at a place that played a major role in their lives and the lives of those they served.
The two gymnasiums at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Wilmington were dedicated to the late coaches and mentors William E. Murphy and Ronald E. Davis during a ceremony attended by friends, family and city officials.
For generations of Wilmington youth, the center was more than a place to play. It was a place where Murphy and Davis served as coaches, mentors and leaders who believed in the young people who walked through its doors.
“We need more people like that, amen,” said Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo during the ceremony.
Saffo said the ceremony showed how many lives the two men touched.
“I think what we heard today from a lot of people was ‘We need more Coach Murphys and more Coach Davis’ in the world,'” said Saffo.
Wilmington Mayor Pro-Tem Kevin Spears, who remembers Murphy and Davis from his own childhood, said their influence extended well beyond the playing court.
“It was okay for Murphy to discipline you, to set you straight, and to give you guidance, so, you know, that’s who he was, and Coach Ron was the same way,” said Spears.
Murphy’s daughter, Portia Daniels-Murphy, now works at the center. She said she was moved by the outpouring of support for her father and the lasting affection the community continues to show him.
“That’s who I’ll always remember and always cherish: being in this building and seeing the amount of love that he got, and the amount of love the community continues to give him almost 17 years later,” said Daniels-Murphy.
Davis’ wife, Maria, became emotional during the unveiling of her husband’s and Murphy’s names above the gymnasium doors.
She said the dedication represents the culmination of the two men’s hard work and devotion to the young people they served — and that their legacy now rests with the generations they helped shape.
“It’s up to that generation of men and women who now have their own children, and in some cases grandchildren, to make sure that they instill those values and those skills into them so that way my husband’s legacy and Coach Murphy’s legacy continues to live even beyond now,” said Maria Davis.
The names of Murphy and Davis will now remain a permanent part of the center, serving as a reminder of the impact they made and the generations of young people who continue to walk through its doors.
