Just two weeks removed from Terry Gambill announcing that he would step away from the helm of the Allen Football Program, the district dropped a bomb. Today, Chad Morris was named the next head coach of the Allen Eagles.
Coming off of a decade-long run in College Football that saw him helm programs at SMU (2015-2017) and Arkansas (2018-2019), Morris will head to Allen to lead one of the country's premier High School Football Programs. If you're not quite up to speed on the Chad Morris saga, don't worry, we've got you covered.
🚨BREAKING🚨
Allen lands a HUGE name to lead the Eagles. Chad Morris comes to Allen off of a decade-long run in CFB, most recently as OC at Auburn. 🏈🏈🏈
The future looks BRIGHT in Allen, TX! #txhsfb https://t.co/0jwbt1Vaxb
— VYPE DFW (@VYPEDFW) March 31, 2021
Morris' tenure at the collegiate level started with a flash. After just one year of college experience, Morris was hired as the Offensive Coordinator at Clemson University. In his four years at Clemson, Morris led the Tigers' Offense to new heights, posting two Top 10 finishes in Total Offense. After his success at Clemson, SMU gave Morris his first opportunity to lead a college program. Over three years, Morris led the Mustangs to a 14-22 mark, which many considered to be a remarkable feat given SMU's recent struggles.
Perhaps his most notable tenure, though, was at the University of Arkansas. Morris was hired by the Razorbacks in 2018 as an up-and-coming young coach looking to prove his worth in the SEC. What followed was hard to watch. With Morris at the helm, the Razorbacks posted a 4-18 record, and won zero conference games in nearly two years. Morris was let go near the end of his second season.
Though, Morris isn't just known for all of that. In Texas, Chad Morris is best known as the man who led Lake Travis on an all-time run. In his final High School job, before bolting to the NCAA, Morris led the Cavaliers to Back-to-Back 4A DI State Championships and a 32-0 overall record. The Cavaliers haven't looked back.
Only time will tell if Allen has made the correct decision in Morris but with a pedigree like his, you'd be hard-pressed to blame them. Morris may not have been a hit on the college stage but, then again, few are. The hire of Morris certainly puts the Eagles in the spotlight, and with his proven experience and unparalleled success at the high school level you've got to be impressed with what Allen has done.
Photo courtesy of Richardson softball coach Courtney Sims
