Posted: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:30 PM - 9,664 Readers
By: Mike Brown
Todd Graham said hiring one of the most successful coaches in Texas high school football as his new co-offensive coordinator can only lengthen the recruiting reach Graham's University of Tulsa program has in the Lone Star State.
Chad Morris, who has guided three teams to state titles and finished runner-up three other times in 16 high school seasons, joined the Golden Hurricane last Monday.
"He's had tremendous success as a developer of quarterbacks, and he holds almost every record in Texas high school offensive football," Graham said. "So I think the first thing he brings is just a tremendous credibility offensively with the skill kids."
Under Morris' direction the past two years, Lake Travis High School (near Austin) had the state's No. 1 offense while winning 32 straight games and back-to-back Class 4A Division I titles.
In 2008, current University of Texas freshman Garrett Gilbert threw for a state-record 4,884 yards and 55 touchdowns while leading the Cavaliers to a 16-0 record.
Morris also developed such quarterbacks as Jevan Snead, who led Ole Miss to a win over Oklahoma State in the 2010 Cotton Bowl, and Kody Spano, a current redshirt freshman at the University of Nebraska.
"When you look at our track record and some of the quarterbacks we've developed — and those guys still remain in close contact with me — and getting them to endorse what we do, it's an automatic (to help in recruiting)," Morris said.
Morris said he's looking forward to the recruiting process.
"In high school, you have to play with what you have. I'm looking forward to going out and finding people who fit our system," he said.
Morris' overall coaching record is 169-38. Since 2004, he's been a proponent of the same hurry-up, no-huddle offense that Tulsa uses. Since first installing the system at Stephenville (Texas) High School in 2004, his record is 75-6.
Morris said he will draw on the relationships he's built from coaching in various parts of Texas and from spending the last three years on the Board of Directors of the Texas High School Coaches Association.
"He's one of the most respected men in Texas high school coaching," Graham said. "He's coached in all parts of Texas. He's been in Central Texas (Lake Travis, Stephenville), East Texas (Eustace, Elysian Fields) and the Gulf Coast (Bay City), so naturally that brings a great deal to the table."
Morris guided Bay City to a Class 4A state title in 2000 and finished runner-up at the same school the following year. He also had Class 2A Division II runner-up finishes in his only seasons at Elysian Fields (1998 and 1999).
His best team in five years at Stephenville went 13-1 and reached the 4A Division I semifinals in 2005. He also spent four years at Eustace (1994-97).
Morris' 2008 Lake Travis team averaged 49 points per game and was ranked No. 2 nationally by USA Today and No. 8 by Rivals. His 2009 team averaged 44 points per game and was ranked No. 2 nationally by Rivals and No. 9 by USA Today.
"The exposure and contacts we've developed during that time have been remarkable," he said. "People throughout the country have called and inquired, and wanted us to come talk to them (about offensive football). So it's been very exciting."
While Morris says it's important that Tulsa continue tapping the fertile Texas recruiting fields, he wants to do the same job in Oklahoma.
"There are great players here, too, and I look forward to developing relationships with these high school coaches. I think it's extremely important for them to get to know me and feel comfortable around me," he said.
Graham said Morris' personality will go far on the recruiting trail.
"You can meet him and feel like you know him in five minutes. He's the kind of guy who walks into a living room and you're going to trust him with your son.
"It's important for parents and coaches to trust who they send their young men to play for," Graham said.
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/TU/article.aspx?subjectid=94&articleid=20100124_94_B4_OleMis82060
