The College of the Canyons football program had its first member of the 2014 team sign a National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, as sophomore safety Austin Murillo will transfer to Coastal Carolina University.

“Austin Murillo is the true embodiment of what a College of the Canyons football player is,” said COC football head coach Ted Iacenda. “For the past two seasons our staff has had the privilege to coach this young man, and while we will miss him dearly in our program we are overjoyed for him.

“He is a tremendous football player, but an even better person,” Iacenda continued. “His character, work ethic and attitude are the main reasons why he will continue to have success at Coastal Carolina University and in life.”

Murillo was a Southern California Football Association (SCFA) First Team All-League selection after a strong 2014 campaign.

The sophomore safety started all 10 games for the Cougars and ranked second on the team with 63 total tackles, while posting three tackles for loss, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and a sack.

Murillo, a Hart High School graduate, completes his two-year COC career with 106 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, four interceptions and three fumble recoveries.

“I couldn’t be more thankful for all the coaches at College of the Canyons who have helped me get to this point,” said Murillo. “I’d also like to thank my father who has sacrificed so much for me over the last 20 years. I definitely could not have accomplished this dream without him.

“I’m very excited to be heading to Coastal Carolina,” added Murillo. “Go Chanticleers!”

Coastal Carolina University is a Division I program in the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision (FBS). The campus is located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The Chanticleers plays in the Big South Conference, where it has achieved major success in recent seasons.

In 2014 head coach Joe Moglia led Coastal Carolina to a 12-2 overall record and 4-1 mark in conference play before losing to perennial powerhouse North Dakota State in last weekend’s NCAA Division I Championship Quarterfinal.

Over the last two seasons Coastal Carolina has posted a combined 24-5 record, losing to North Dakota State in the postseason both years.

Although the 2015 National Signing Day isn’t until Feb. 4, a number of COC players could be committing to schools in the coming weeks, with several members of the 2014 squad having already received scholarship offers.

For more information about the College of the Canyons football program please visit www.COCathletics.com.