Chad Allen Morris, born on December 4, 1968, is an American football coach with a remarkable career spanning both high school and collegiate levels. A native of Dallas, Texas, Morris has established himself as one of the top offensive minds in the sport.
Most recently, he served as the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Texas State University. Morris is a veteran coach with more than 30 years of experience at the high school and collegiate levels.
Prior to his collegiate coaching career, he was a high school head coach in Texas for 16 seasons compiling a 169-38 record (.816 winning overall). He began his coaching career in 1992 at Eustace HS, where he spent 6 years. In January 2000, Morris took the Bay City AD/head coaching position. He led the Blackcats to the 4A Division I state championship in 2000.
This article delves into the biography of Chad Morris, highlighting his journey, accomplishments, and coaching philosophy.
Chad Morris
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Early Life and Education
Morris went to Edgewood High School in Edgewood, Texas, where he was the quarterback of the Bulldogs. He attended Texas A&M University and earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics with a minor in statistics in 1992. Notably, Morris did not play football at the collegiate level.
High School Coaching Career
Morris became a legend in the state of Texas during his 16 years as a head coach at the high school level, posting a 169-38 record overall. He led six of his teams to the Texas State Championship game, highlighted by three titles, and he earned Coach of the Year honors 11 times.
As a high school coach, Morris cemented his legacy by helping Lake Travis High School win back-to-back undefeated state championships in 2008 and 2009 and leading the team to a 32-0 record over those two seasons. During the 2008 and 2009 seasons, Morris led Lake Travis to back-to-back undefeated 4A Division I state titles. The Cavaliers finished the 2008 season as the AP No. 2 ranked team in the country.
In his last two years in the prep ranks, Morris led Lake Travis High School to back-to-back undefeated 16-0 seasons as well as two Class 4A State Championships. Lake Travis was the state of Texas' top-ranked offense in both 2008 and 2009.
In that same 2008 campaign, Morris coached former Mustang great Garrett Gilbert, who was named the Gatorade and Parade Magazine National Player of the Year, while setting the state of Texas' single-season passing yardage mark with 4,884 yards and 55 touchdowns.
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Before compiling a 32-0 record in his two seasons at Lake Travis, Morris posted a five-year mark of 49-10 at Stephenville High School, where he implemented a hurry-up, no-huddle offense in 2004.
Before moving to Stephenville, Morris' teams registered a three-year record of 34-8 at Bay City High School, while playing for the state championship twice (2000 & 2001) and winning the crown in 2000 with a 14-1 record.
Collegiate Coaching Career
Morris has spent the last 10 years as one of the top offensive minds in college football helping three programs finish in the top 10 in the FBS in scoring average.
Tulsa (2010)
Morris' collegiate debut came as the associate head coach/offensive coordinator at Tulsa in 2010. In his one season as offensive coordinator working specifically with the quarterbacks, Morris helped the Golden Hurricane average 41.4 points per game, sixth nationally, and finish with a 10-3 record. Tulsa scored 50 or more points in four games and finished as one of five FBS teams with over 30 rushing and 30 passing touchdowns.
Clemson (2011-2014)
After helping the Golden Hurricane to a 10-3 season, Morris was hired by Clemson as the offensive coordinator from 2011-2014. Morris' impact during his four years at Clemson as offensive coordinator helped result in a 41-11 record, the 2011 ACC Championship and four bowl berths, including two BCS Orange Bowl appearances.
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Under Morris' offense, the Tigers set 127 offensive records (89 individual/38 team) and posted the top three scoring seasons in school history, as well as four of the top five passing seasons at Clemson. The Clemson offense in its second season under Morris with ACC Player of the Year Tajh Boyd at quarterback set school records for total yards per game (512.7) and points per game (41.0), ranking sixth in the nation in scoring and ninth in the nation in total offense.
The 2013 squad backed up those numbers with 508.5 yards and 40.2 points per game, both top 10 nationally. Morris' record-setting offense in 2012 and 2013 marked the first time in ACC history that an active member of the conference had averaged more than 40 points per game in back-to-back seasons.
Clemson was also one of just two FBS schools with a 3,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver every year from 2011-13. For his work, Morris was named AFCA National Assistant Coach of the Year and one of five finalists for National Offensive Coordinator of the Year by 247Sports.com in 2013, and the National Offensive Coordinator of the Year by Rivals.com in 2011.
From the 2012 NFL Draft to 2015 NFL Draft, Morris saw seven of his offensive players drafted, including four wide receivers, tied for the most from any school over that span. Included in the quartet of wide receivers drafted were first round picks DeAndre Hopkins (Houston Texans) and Sammy Watkins (Los Angeles Rams).
SMU (2015-2017)
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. In three seasons at SMU (2015-17), Morris used his Texas recruiting roots and offensive prowess to take the Mustangs from a 1-11 campaign in 2013 before he took over to the program's first bowl bid five years with a 7-5 mark in 2017.
Morris' offensive scheme increased the team's scoring output from 128th the year before his arrival into the nation's eighth-highest scoring offense (40.1) in 2017. The 2017 Mustangs were one of just two FBS teams that featured a 3,000-yard passer, 1000-yard rusher and multiple 1,000-yard receivers.
Morris completed his tenure at SMU compiling a 14-22 record over 3 seasons. Morris improved his record each year at SMU going 2-10 in 2015, 5-7 in 2016 and 7-5 in 2017.
Arkansas (2018-2019)
On December 6, 2017, Morris was hired as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, signing a six-year, $21 million contract. In his first year, Morris led the Razorbacks to a 2-10 record, notching the team's first ten-loss season in school history.
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.
Auburn (2020)
Chad Morris has been named offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn, head coach Gus Malzahn announced Tuesday.
Chad Morris Offensive Breakdown
"I'm very grateful for the opportunity to join Coach Malzahn's staff at Auburn. I've known Gus since the early 2000s and consider him a dear friend and someone that helped me get into the profession at the college level. I've admired the success he's had at each of his stops and look forward to adding to the success that he, his staff and the players have built. We are excited about joining the Auburn family."
Texas State (2023)
Morris, who came to Texas State after spending the 2023 season with Clemson as a special assistant to the head coach.
Coaching Philosophy
Chad Morris has coached youth sports for over seven years, including baseball, basketball, and soccer. His coaching philosophy focuses on fostering solid fundamentals and a strong mentality in every athlete he coaches.
At Bowie High School, Morris was a multi-sport Varsity athlete, including a 3-year starter in baseball, a 3-year letter/starter in soccer, and a 4-year letter in swimming. He was named Captain of the baseball, soccer, and swimming teams for one season each. In 1999, he earned an All-met honorable mention in baseball. He played baseball at the collegiate level for one year at Ferrum College.
Accolades and Achievements
- AFCA National Assistant Coach of the Year (2013)
- Rivals.com National Offensive Coordinator of the Year (2011)
- 11-time Coach of the Year honoree
- Led Lake Travis High School to back-to-back undefeated state championships (2008-2009)
Statistical Overview
The following table provides a summary of Chad Morris's coaching record at various institutions:
| Year(s) | Team | Position | Record | Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-1997 | Eustace HS | Head Coach | ||
| 1998-1999 | Elysian Field ISD | Head Coach | 26-6 | State Championship Game (twice) |
| 2000-2002 | Bay City ISD | Head Coach | 34-8 | State Championship (2000) |
| 2004-2007 | Stephenville ISD | Head Coach | 49-10 | |
| 2008-2009 | Lake Travis ISD | Head Coach | 32-0 | Back-to-back undefeated state championships |
| 2010 | Tulsa | Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator | 10-3 | |
| 2011-2014 | Clemson | Offensive Coordinator | 41-11 | 2011 ACC Championship |
| 2015-2017 | SMU | Head Coach | 14-22 | |
| 2018-2019 | Arkansas | Head Coach | 4-18 |
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