Eric Morris is Youngest UNT Football Coach in 80 years

[rcade]

Eric Morris turned 37 last month, which made me wonder where he stands in age among our head coaches at the time they were hired.

I put together this table to answer that question. Morris is the youngest head coach we've hired since Lloyd Russell was named in 1942 after Jack Sisco was called up for service in World War II.

Most of the coaches hired before the school stopped being North Texas Normal in 1923 were younger than Morris and the exception, J.W. Pender, was also 37 like Morris but slightly older.

While looking through a newspaper archive for the date coaches were hired, I found out that when Hayden Fry was hired in December 1972, he was the first coach North Texas ever gave a multi-year contract. SMU had fired him two weeks earlier even though he finished second in the Southwest Conference that season.

Fry's comment upon his arrival in Denton: "Everything here will be more than adequate," he said, referring to the number of scholarships and football budget. "It's going to be a tough job, but it can be done. I am intelligent enough to recognize the opportunity to make North Texas into a football power and that is what I intend to do."

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by rcade

[rcade]

Eric Morris is also the first UNT head football coach I could have plausibly fathered, though at age 18 in 1985 I had little time for the ladies because I was dungeon mastering a D&D game on Friday nights.

[meanJewGreen]

32 minutes ago, rcade said:

Eric Morris turned 37 last month, which made me wonder where he stands in age among our head coaches at the time they were hired.

I put together this table to answer that question. Morris is the youngest head coach we've hired since Lloyd Russell was named in 1942 after Jack Sisco was called up for service in World War II.

Most of the coaches hired before the school stopped being North Texas Normal in 1923 were younger than Morris and the exception, J.W. Pender, was also 37 like Morris but slightly older.

While looking through a newspaper archive for the date coaches were hired, I found out that when Hayden Fry was hired in December 1972, he was the first coach North Texas ever gave a multi-year contract. SMU had fired him two weeks earlier even though he finished second in the Southwest Conference that season.

Fry's comment upon his arrival in Denton: "Everything here will be more than adequate," he said, referring to the number of scholarships and football budget. "It's going to be a tough job, but it can be done. I am intelligent enough to recognize the opportunity to make North Texas into a football power and that is what I intend to do."

 

I also think this could be why people arent as excited about him. He's a younger SL, and runs the same offense. 

(for the record I am hopeful) 

[greenminer]

23 minutes ago, meanJewGreen said:

I also think this could be why people arent as excited about him. He's a younger SL, and runs the same offense. 

(for the record I am hopeful) 

We are so used to reactionary hires, we don't know how to react to something otherwise.

I think their is optimism that he can build on this, and also understandable concern that the same half-ass defense will continue.