Walter Leonard Murphy (December 11, 1937 – January 29, 2025) was an American jurist who served as a justice on the New Hampshire Superior Court from 1983 to 2003 and was the first football coach at Plymouth State University.
The Panthers finished the inaugural season with an 0–3 record, including a loss to Acadia University in a game played under a combination of Canadian and American football rules.
[8] Dartmouth head football coach Joe Yukica was asked by athletic director Ted Leland to resign after a 2–7–1 1985 season.
He refused and on November 29, 1985, Yukica was removed as head coach and reassigned to another position in the athletic department for the remainder of his contract, which was to expire on June 30, 1987.
[9] Yukica, represented by attorney Michael Slive, filed suit seeking to have his dismissal declared illegal and be allowed to complete his contract.
[11] During the trial, fellow coaches Joe Paterno, Jack Bicknell, and Bob Blackman testified on Yukica's behalf.
[14] Although the case was not resolved at trial, Yukica v. Leland has been hailed by the American Football Coaches Association and others as setting an important precedent in sports law.