Allen names former SMU, Arkansas head coach Chad Morris as his next football coach

Editor’s note: This story has been updated since it was first published.

The last two times Allen had a head football coach start, which turned to familiar faces. At this point, the largest school in Texas decided to rent out – and one big school.

Chad Morris, former head coach of SMU and Arkansas, will be the next head football coach at Allen, the district announced on Twitter on Wednesday morning. Morris spent last season as an offensive coordinator at Ub Burn.

“I am honored to join the Alan ISD and Alan Eagles football program,” Morris said in a news release. “Allen High School is known throughout the state and country for its high tradition of excellence in everything it does, and the football team is definitely involved in that discussion. My native Texas high school has run errands in football, and I look forward to the opportunity for young student-athletes to return to coaching and make an impact on their lives. As a coach, I would expect our students to work hard, but I want them to know that I care about their holistic development as leaders both on and off the field. My goal is to establish a culture that can positively impact our student-athletes, and I believe that will allow them to compete for the championship on an ongoing basis. “

The move means Morris will be closer to his two children, not just in the Dallas area. His daughter, Mackenzie, is a recruiting coordinator for North Texas. His son, Chandler, transferred this se phison from Oklahoma to TCU. Chandler was an early quarterback at Highland Park for two seasons. He led the Scots to the 2018 State Championships and was named All-Area Off Fashion Player of the Year.

Morris replaces Terry Gamble, who announced his retirement on March 16 after five years as head coach at Mor Lawn. Jumble, 59, had a 65-4 record with Lawn and led the Eagles to a 16-0 record and a Class 6A Division I State Championship in 2017. She also reached the state semifinals in 2016 and 2018.

Flashback reading: Chad Morris 6 slept in a field house near the SMU head coach with a 1.6 million home and an epic man cave.

Allen now has his next head coach, but he doesn’t have a future athletic director yet. Steam Williams announced Gamble’s retirement two days later. He will remain as athletic director until June. Williams spent 1 year at Allen ISD, including the last 21 as the district’s athletic director.

Gamble was a defensive coordinator before becoming head coach at Waco Midway and eventually head coach at Allen. He replaced Tom Westerberg, who was also the coordinator at Allan, before becoming the Eagles head coach.

“The longer I talked to coach Morris, the more convinced I was that I was the right person to lead the Alan Eagles football team,” Superintendent Robin Bullock said in a statement. “Coach Morris is clearly passionate about coaching young athletes and helping them find success. His coaching record speaks for itself, and it is also clear that he is a proven leader who has focused on building relationships with student-athletes, mentoring coaches and promoting a positive culture throughout the program. When you blend integrity and do the right thing with the desire to inspire students to be excellent, great things will follow. ”

Morris did not coach at Allen, but he has plenty of experience coaching Texas high school football. He compiled an overall record of 167-40 in more than 16 seasons. He won the state championship as head coach of two cities in 2000 and then won previous two-back state titles at Stin Lake Travis in 2008 and 2009. He has lost five of his last five seasons at Stephenville and Lake Travis, none of which. In the last two years.

After winning his second straight title at Travis Lake, Morris was taken on the Tulsa staff. He became an offensive coordinator at Clemson before becoming head coach at SMU.

Morris went 14-22 at SMU, but remained 7-5 there in his final season. He then became head coach in Arkansas where he was a combined 4-18 before being fired.

Allen’s job posting as head football coach estimates an annual salary of around 4 124,000 (6 6,476.01 per day). In Arkansas, Morris originally made about a million a year. Millions sign a six-year deal – an agreement that Arkansas still pays as part of a buyout. Last year, Morris signed a three-year deal to become the outspoken coordinator of Ub Burn, but it was not retained after long-time Ub Burn head coach Gus Malzhan – now fired as head coach in Central Florida.

Now Morris will return to the position of high school on the country’s largest high school job.

In 2010, Ellen broke ground at Eagle Stadium. The 60 600 million stadium opened two years later. Alan Eagle has never lost a home game inside the stadium. The Eagles will also go on to win the regular season of head 83 straight games next season. Under Morris, Allen will extend those two cords.

Find high school sports coverage from the Dallas Morning News here.

To see subscription options for news and sportsday, click here.