Chad Allen Morris, born on December 4, 1968, is an American football coach with a diverse career spanning high school and college levels. His journey includes notable successes and significant challenges, shaping his reputation in the football world. Let's delve into the details of his career, earnings, and the various contracts that have defined his professional path.
Chad Morris
Early Career and High School Success
Before transitioning to college coaching, Morris built an impressive record in Texas high school football. For 16 seasons, he amassed a 169-38 record (.816 winning percentage). Most notably, he served as the head coach of Lake Travis High School from 2008 to 2009, leading the team to back-to-back 16-0 state title seasons with quarterback Garrett Gilbert.
Plenty of Arkansas fans joked about the prospect of Morris returning to the Texas high school ranks, where he won three state titles and went 167-40 as the head coach of various high schools across Texas in 1994 to 2009. While Morris has been humbled at the SEC level, he’s still hot stuff in Texas prep circles. That’s why, on Wednesday, Allen High School in north Dallas announced him as its next head coach.
Morris moved farther east to Elysian Fields in 1998. It was a step down to Class 2A but a step up in its commitment to football. He coached the team to the state championship game in what would be his two seasons there. But each time, his teams lost to Celina, coached by the highly acclaimed G.A. Then Bay City called from down on the Gulf Coast. His first team there won the Class 4A state championship at Texas Stadium.
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Chad Morris made stops as head coach at Stephenville High School (lefttop), and Lake Travis (rightbottom), along with Eustace, Elysian Fields and Bay City before jumping to the college ranks. In two seasons at the Austin-area school, Lake Travis went 32-0 and won consecutive state Class 4A championships. The first year, Lake Travis averaged 49 points per game.
Transition to College Coaching
Morris transitioned to the college level in 2010, becoming the offensive coordinator and associate head coach at the University of Tulsa. After just one season, he moved to Clemson University as offensive coordinator.
The 2 years prior to Morris' arrival, Clemson went a combined 15-12, including a record of 6-7 in 2010. Under Morris’ jittery, Red Bull-fueled hands, he masterminded a fast-tempo, spread offense that brought Clemson back to national prominence. Indeed, at the end of the 2011 season, Clemson gave Morris a six-year contract worth $1.3 annually.
Since Morris left, Elliott has been promoted to co-offensive coordinator with Jeff Scott and now sole offensive coordinator. Under his watch, Clemson has won two national titles and produced the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft in Trevor Lawrence. Tony Elliott is destined for a head coaching job one day.
Morris got his first opportunity to head coach at the collegiate level when he became head coach at the Southern Methodist University on December 1, 2014. Morris completed his tenure at SMU compiling a 14-22 record over 3 seasons.
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“I would not have left Clemson to be a head coach in Florida or Georgia or anywhere else but here,” said new SMU coach Chad Morris, who begins his college head coaching career against Baylor on Friday, Sept. 4, 2015. “It’s the connection to high school coaches in this state that brought me back to Texas,” he said.
Arkansas Razorbacks Tenure
On December 6, 2017, Morris was hired as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, signing a six-year, $21 million contract.
Chad Morris recaps loss to San Jose State
After a 2-8 start to the 2019 season and a 45-19 loss to Group of 5 opponent Western Kentucky, Arkansas dismissed Morris in his second season. All four of his wins as head coach were over Group of Five (Tulsa, Colorado State) or FCS (Eastern Illinois, Portland State) competition. To date, he is the only full-time Razorback coach to have left the school without a conference win.
Contract and Buyout Details
At Arkansas, Morris originally signed a six-year deal worth roughly $3.5 million per year - a contract that Arkansas was still paying him as a part of a buyout. After the firing, Arkansas owed Morris about $10 million, to be paid out monthly. The payment of the $10 million he was owed was to be made monthly through the end of the contract Dec. 31, 2023, but was to be offset by any other employment compensation Morris received. Without offsets, the payment would be about $205,000 monthly, or almost $2.5 million a year.
Arkansas had already gotten out of paying $2.205 million of that amount because of Morris’ guaranteed contract at Auburn. The offset in Coach Morris’ release-waiver agreement with the University of Arkansas would be based on his Auburn salary through the term of that contract. Therefore, the Auburn agreement would be applicable related to the offset through its expiration in January 2023 unless he obtains employment compensation in excess of the total amount of his Auburn guarantee before its expiration.
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I’ve since found that Morris had a $1.43 million buyout with Auburn, essentially two more years of pay from them. So that covers two years.
Return to High School Coaching
After his stint at Arkansas, Morris returned to high school coaching. That’s why, on Wednesday, Allen High School in north Dallas announced him as its next head coach. Allen is Texas’ largest high school and a powerhouse at the state’s 6A classification.
In terms of pay, returning to high school will be quite the step down for Morris. “Allen’s job posting for a head football coach estimates an annual salary up to nearly $124,000 ($476.01 per day),” Greg Riddle and Joseph Hoyt reported for the Dallas Morning News.
Coaching Philosophy and Impact
“As a coach, I’ll expect our students to work hard, but I want them to know that I care about their overall development as leaders both on and off the field.” “It’s my goal to establish a culture that can impact our student-athletes in a positive way, and I believe that will allow us to compete for championships on a consistent basis.”
“Coach Morris is clearly passionate about coaching young athletes and helping them find success. His coaching record speaks for itself, and it’s also evident that he is a proven leader who focuses on building relationships with student-athletes, mentoring coaches, and promoting a positive culture throughout the program.”
Earnings and Contracts Summary
Here is a summary of Chad Morris's earnings and contracts at various stages of his career:
| Position | Institution | Annual Salary/Contract Value | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head Coach | Allen High School | ~$124,000 | N/A |
| Head Coach | Arkansas Razorbacks | $3.5 million per year (6-year, $21 million contract) | 2017-2019 |
| Head Coach | Southern Methodist University | $2.095 million (2017) | 2015-2017 |
| Offensive Coordinator | Clemson University | $1.3 million annually | 2011-2014 |
Morris, for the most part, seemed like a good guy - just in over his head as an SEC coach. Hopefully, at Allen, he’ll be all the more wise after his rough go and treat players and regular students alike with more wisdom.
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