William Murray urges Tamil Nadu to adopt a cohesive, crowd-pleasing style of play

William Murray said in Chennai on October 24, 2026 that he wants the Tamil Nadu men's hockey team to be more than a winning unit and to develop an exciting, cohesive style of play that will draw crowds.

Murray, an English coach and FIH coach educator, ran Level 3 coaching courses for Hockey India in Rourkela and Hyderabad earlier this year before taking up his current role with the state side. He has coaching experience in Hong Kong and Belgium and has worked with England’s u-18 and Scotland’s u-21 teams.

On the effect of playing surfaces on development, Murray said: "Too often, it’s very individualised here. Even things like pushing (push pass), since it’s not done in the same way on gravel, grass, or dirt pitches, there’s a desire to get the ball off the floor as much as possible. Whereas on astro, you want the ball on the floor, where it moves quickly but smoothly. That allows the whole team to stay connected up the pitch and work together."

Addressing his coaching approach, he said: "I’m trying to implement some quite rigorous tactical concepts, which will take time. I want us to be exciting - to play fast, with style and swagger, but also in a connected way," he said.

Murray also described a broader development aim for the state’s hockey pathway, saying: "More than just focusing on one team, for me it’s about making sure the whole ecosystem is rich, so that any young player, whatever their background, if they’re good enough, gets the opportunity and understanding to be nurtured and grow to their potential," he said.

Murray joined the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu in May on a two-year contract as Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu’s high-performance coach. The article was published on October 24, 2026 at 07:18 pm IST; Photo Credit: R. RAGU.