Mike Murphy (born September 25, 1944) is an American football coach who held a variety of defensive coaching positions at the college and professional levels of the sport over a period of four decades, starting in 1970.
He was the linebackers coach at Western Illinois from 1977 to 1978 before becoming the defensive coordinator for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1979 to 1983.
In 1984, he was the defensive line coach for the Chicago Blitz of the United States Football League (USFL).
Murphy coached the linebackers for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League(NFL) from 1985 to 1989.
He held the position until 2011, during which he was given the role of defensive coordinator following Larry Coyer's firing.