The Statesman Interview: SMU coach Chad Morris

Harry · June 22, 2015

Chad Morris is into fixing things. So when he arrived at SMU last December as the school’s new football coach, he got to work right away and convinced his bosses to cough up more than $1 million for facility upgrades.

Morris’ decorating touch can be seen throughout Gerald J. Ford Stadium, from upgraded weight room equipment to new video and audio technology, wall graphics highlighting the program’s three national titles, wood panels in place of dingy carpet, and an enhanced player’s lounge.

In the coming months, the school expects to announce plans for a stand-alone football building that will house an indoor practice facility.

Morris, a Dallas native, must now try to fix the team. His predecessor, June Jones, resigned after two games in 2014, and the Mustangs started 0-11 before beating Connecticut in the season finale. SMU scored 10 or fewer points in eight games.

For years, Morris had been a hot name for job openings. He led Lake Travis to back-to-back undefeated seasons in 2008 and 2009 before becoming offensive coordinator at Tulsa. From there, he went to Clemson, where he was the nation’s highest paid public school assistant in 2012, earning $1.3 million.

He sat down with the American-Statesman to discuss where he’s been, where he is and where he’s headed:

What’s been the biggest challenge since you’ve started?

I don’t even know if it’s really a challenge, but getting everyone to believe in the vision we have. When you come here, it’s easy to sell the academics, it’s easy to sell a degree from SMU. I haven’t been able to sell the fact this team won 11 games last year or went to a BCS game two years ago or what not. One of the things you sell is we have won 10 games each of the last four years (at Clemson). Everywhere I’ve been, we’ve won. We’ve won in high school in this state. That’s what you sell. I don’t know if it’s so much a challenge as it is to be able to sell the belief. When you’re trying to sell something on a product that was 1-11, you have to change the attitude.

Not only were they 1-11, but their coach quit on them. Did you encounter a team with a broken spirit?

I don’t know if the word “broken spirit” is right. Loss of direction. I think (interim coach) Tom Mason did an outstanding job, as good of a job as anyone could have done. But when the head coach leaves, players lose the sense of direction, the sense of leadership. You get to the point where the players sense this coaching staff isn’t gonna be here so they kinda lose belief in themselves. I really think it took them six or seven games before they realized, hey, maybe we can win a game.

Because of the challenges, were you reluctant to consider the job?

Had an awesome job at Clemson. Had a six-year contract. Loved it. I’m a Texas high school coach and this is home. When this job opened up, and because of the location that it’s in, i thought OK, this is the one, this is the one that we can go and get flipped and get turned, show improvement, get this thing on the right track. June had it that way. June went to four bowl games in six years and had Garrett Gilbert not gotten hurt, he would have gone to five in six. I think if they would have put just a little bit more emphasis in recruiting the state of Texas, who knows. When you start looking back to the mid- to early-2000s, SMU and TCU were neck-and-neck. In the last 10 years you’ve seen TCU take off. Because of where I’m from and the relationships I have in this state, that’s what really caused me to believe this is the right fit. If this job had been in Florida or the Carolinas or Georgia or Virginia, I wouldn’t have taken it because I didn’t have the strong bonds and the strong relationships that I have in this state.

Read more: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/sports/college-football/the-statesman-interview-smu-coach-chad-morris/nmhQD/?icmp=statesman_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesmanpremium#18f36ec6.3499288.735770

oldguystudent · June 22, 2015

but getting everyone to believe in the vision we have.

Good God, man. Is this like the secret handshake to get into the college coach's club room? I don't mean this at all as a slight against Chad Morris individually, but rather that I don't think I have ever heard a coach NOT say this.

forevereagle · June 22, 2015

Good God, man. Is this like the secret handshake to get into the college coach's club room? I don't mean this at all as a slight against Chad Morris individually, but rather that I don't think I have ever heard a coach NOT say this.

That's because you don't understand the coaching vision.

drex · June 22, 2015

Coach talk should be an accepted foreign language credit toward a degree.

UNTexas · June 23, 2015

Chad Morris is into fixing things. So when he arrived at SMU last December as the school’s new football coach, he got to work right away and convinced his bosses to cough up more than $1 million for facility upgrades.
Morris’ decorating touch can be seen throughout Gerald J. Ford Stadium, from upgraded weight room equipment to new video and audio technology, wall graphics highlighting the program’s three national titles, wood panels in place of dingy carpet, and an enhanced player’s lounge.
In the coming months, the school expects to announce plans for a stand-alone football building that will house an indoor practice facility.
Morris, a Dallas native, must now try to fix the team. His predecessor, June Jones, resigned after two games in 2014, and the Mustangs started 0-11 before beating Connecticut in the season finale. SMU scored 10 or fewer points in eight games.
For years, Morris had been a hot name for job openings. He led Lake Travis to back-to-back undefeated seasons in 2008 and 2009 before becoming offensive coordinator at Tulsa. From there, he went to Clemson, where he was the nation’s highest paid public school assistant in 2012, earning $1.3 million.
He sat down with the American-Statesman to discuss where he’s been, where he is and where he’s headed:
What’s been the biggest challenge since you’ve started?
I don’t even know if it’s really a challenge, but getting everyone to believe in the vision we have. When you come here, it’s easy to sell the academics, it’s easy to sell a degree from SMU. I haven’t been able to sell the fact this team won 11 games last year or went to a BCS game two years ago or what not. One of the things you sell is we have won 10 games each of the last four years (at Clemson). Everywhere I’ve been, we’ve won. We’ve won in high school in this state. That’s what you sell. I don’t know if it’s so much a challenge as it is to be able to sell the belief. When you’re trying to sell something on a product that was 1-11, you have to change the attitude.
Not only were they 1-11, but their coach quit on them. Did you encounter a team with a broken spirit?
I don’t know if the word “broken spirit” is right. Loss of direction. I think (interim coach) Tom Mason did an outstanding job, as good of a job as anyone could have done. But when the head coach leaves, players lose the sense of direction, the sense of leadership. You get to the point where the players sense this coaching staff isn’t gonna be here so they kinda lose belief in themselves. I really think it took them six or seven games before they realized, hey, maybe we can win a game.
Because of the challenges, were you reluctant to consider the job?
Had an awesome job at Clemson. Had a six-year contract. Loved it. I’m a Texas high school coach and this is home. When this job opened up, and because of the location that it’s in, i thought OK, this is the one, this is the one that we can go and get flipped and get turned, show improvement, get this thing on the right track. June had it that way. June went to four bowl games in six years and had Garrett Gilbert not gotten hurt, he would have gone to five in six. I think if they would have put just a little bit more emphasis in recruiting the state of Texas, who knows. When you start looking back to the mid- to early-2000s, SMU and TCU were neck-and-neck. In the last 10 years you’ve seen TCU take off. Because of where I’m from and the relationships I have in this state, that’s what really caused me to believe this is the right fit. If this job had been in Florida or the Carolinas or Georgia or Virginia, I wouldn’t have taken it because I didn’t have the strong bonds and the strong relationships that I have in this state.
Read more: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/sports/college-football/the-statesman-interview-smu-coach-chad-morris/nmhQD/?icmp=statesman_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesmanpremium#18f36ec6.3499288.735770

Harry, these SMU posts are going to make people's heads explode with 2.5 months left until our first game against these guys. At a minimum it's going to cause an Anchorman style flight between their fans that troll this board and our guys who love hating on them.

Edited June 23, 2015 by UNTexas

Army of Dad · June 23, 2015

Harry, these SMU posts are going to make people's heads explode with 2.5 months left until our first game against these guys. At a minimum it's going to cause an Anchorman style flight between their fans that troll this board and our guys who love hating on them.

While I would prefer to have a beer fest style competition with SMU fan, an Anchorman style fight would end with lots of pink polos covered in pony blood.

(Yes, I intentionally used the singular fan)

(No way we lose a beer fest competition with @Thor in green, but I would rather just have a beer with them and call it a nice day)

malonish · June 24, 2015

While I would prefer to have a beer fest style competition with SMU fan, an Anchorman style fight would end with lots of pink polos covered in pony blood.

(Yes, I intentionally used the singular fan)
(No way we lose a beer fest competition with @Thor in green, but I would rather just have a beer with them and call it a nice day)

Hey now (I'm fan) I am 2-0 against UNT/students alumni in boxing at the Sigma Chi boxing event. One on one I'd statistically do well

Cr1028 · June 24, 2015

Hey now (I'm fan) I am 2-0 against UNT/students alumni in boxing at the Sigma Chi boxing event. One on one I'd statistically do well

anchorman_fisticuffs_jpeg.jpg?w=676

All About UNT · June 24, 2015

Hey now (I'm fan) I am 2-0 against UNT/students alumni in boxing at the Sigma Chi boxing event. One on one I'd statistically do well

While you have been more than cordial on this board.... some of your fraternity brothers are pieces of shit that deserve to catch a thumping.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/smu-fraternity-chapter-suspended-alleged-neighbor-harassment/story?id=29405322

malonish · June 24, 2015

I am not in the Sigma Chi Frat. I boxed at UNT's Sigma Chi event.

While you have been more than cordial on this board.... some of your fraternity brothers are pieces of shit that deserve to catch a thumping.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/smu-fraternity-chapter-suspended-alleged-neighbor-harassment/story?id=29405322