Tag: Chad Morris

Chad Morris leaves Allen for college job

Chad Morris is leaving Allen after just one season as its head coach.

Chad Morris has resigned as the head coach at Texas powerhouse Allen High School.

Morris, the former head coach at SMU and Arkansas, is leaving Allen to jump back into the collegiate ranks, according to the Dallas Morning News.

“I am so thankful to Allen ISD for the chance to work with an amazing group of student athletes and a dedicated coaching staff,” Morris said in a press release distributed by Allen ISD.

Morris led Allen to an 11-3 record in his lone season at the helm. Allen lost its first-ever game at Eagle Stadium and also lost a district game before advancing to the regional finals against Southlake Carroll under Allen’s guidance.

This offseason has been one of change for Allen, as one of its best players departed the program. Five-star defensive lineman David Hicks transferred to Katy Paetow after the school hired his father as defensive coordinator.

Allen will now begin an immediate search for its third head coach in as many years.

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Swinney pays visit to school of 5-star target

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is making his rounds on the recruiting trail in the Lone Star State Monday. Earlier, he stopped by the high school of an elite defensive back in the 2023 class. Swinney was at Coppell (Texas) High School, home to …

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is making his rounds on the recruiting trail in the Lone Star State Monday. Earlier, he stopped by the high school of an elite defensive back in the 2023 class.

Swinney was at Coppell (Texas) High School, home to four-star cornerback Braxton Myers, a consensus top-150 national prospect according to the major recruiting services who is ranked as high as the No. 100 overall prospect in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.

This afternoon, Swinney stopped by the high school of another elite prospect in Allen (Texas) 2023 five-star defensive lineman David “DJ” Hicks.

Swinney saw a familiar face as he stopped by Allen High School Monday. The program’s head coach is none other than former Clemson offensive coordinator, Chad Morris.

Hicks (6-4, 250) is ranked as the No. 2 defensive lineman in the country and No. 5 overall prospect in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Clemson extended an offer to Hicks on June 1, 2021. The Tigers got Hicks on campus shortly thereafter when he participated in Swinney Camp.

“It was amazing,” Hicks told The Clemson Insider regarding his Clemson experience. “It was very eye-opening for me to be able to see Clemson.”

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

High School Football: Allen assistant coach dies after bout with COVID-19

Allen (Texas) High School teacher and assistant football coach James Shillam died of COVID-19 complications on Sunday.

Allen (Texas) High School teacher and assistant football coach James Shillam died of COVID-19 complications on Sunday.

Shillam was hired to join Allen’s coaching staff as a freshman defensive assistant in July, according to the Allen Independent School District. He was 56 years old.

“He adored every minute of Texas football,” Shillam’s wife, Kyp told WFAA. “For him, Allen was his dream. It was his promised land.”

Before being hired at Allen by first-year head coach Chad Morris, Shillam coached at Newman Smith High School. Allen is scheduled to begin its 2021 season against Plano East High School on Friday night.

“He was everything you want in a coach,” former Newman-Smith coach Paul Ressa said. “He lived and breathed with faith and he walked with it. And he poured into kids”

Shillam was unvaccinated by choice and first became sick in early August, according to his wife. Texas has seen its COVID-19 death rate spike in recent weeks, with a seven-day death average of 154 now plaguing the Lone Star State after that number was at 23 just last month.

RELATED: Former Arkansas, SMU coach Chad Morris named new football coach at Allen HS

Former Arkansas, SMU coach Chad Morris named new football coach at Allen HS

Chad Morris was named Allen High School’s new football coach Wednesday.

Former Arkansas and SMU head coach Chad Morris has himself a new gig — in the high school ranks.

Morris has been named Allen High School’s new football coach. The Texas powerhouse went 10-1 last season under Terry Gambill, who retired earlier in March.

“I am honored to join Allen ISD and the Allen Eagles football program,” Morris said in a statement. “Allen High School is known throughout the state and nation for having a storied tradition of excellence in everything it does, and the football team is certainly included in that discussion. My roots run deep in Texas high school football, and I’m excited for the opportunity to get back to coaching young student-athletes and making an impression on their lives. 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.”

Morris recently worked as Auburn’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under close friend Gus Malzahn in 2020. Prior to that, he served as the head coach at Arkansas in 2018 and 2019, and SMU from 2015 to 2017. Morris posted a 14-22 record in three seasons at SMU before landing at Arkansas, where he went 4-18 and 0-14 in SEC play in two seasons with the Razorbacks.

Before spending a decade coaching in the college ranks, Morris was a revered high school football coach in Texas, amassing a 169-38 record in stops at Stephenville and Lake Travis. Morris led Lake Travis to consecutive state championships in 2008 and 2009 with current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Garrett Gilbert under center.

RELATED: Arch Manning cracks top 5 of 247Sports’ first 2023 Top247 rankings

Chad Morris hired as head coach at Texas high school powerhouse

Former Auburn offensive coordinator Chad Morris is back in the high school ranks at Texas powerhouse Allen High School.

Chad Morris is back coaching in the high school ranks and, boy, is it some job he just accepted.

On Wednesday morning, the former Auburn offensive coordinator was officially announced as the new head coach at Allen High School in Allen, Texas.

For those unfamiliar with Allen, the Eagles are one of the top powers in football-mad Texas, winning three straight state titles from 2012-14 while also being named national champs during that time by High School Football America. They also won the state title in the largest classification in 2017.

Allen’s football stadium, which was built prior to the 2012 season at a cost of $60 million, seats 18,000 fans.

Morris is familiar with the pressures of being a head coach at a power high school in Texas, heading the programs at both Stephenville (2003-07) and Lake Travis (2008-09).

Twitter reacts to Auburn’s loss against Northwestern

Auburn kept it close for a bit but Northwestern ultimately pulled away in a frustrating and embarrassing loss for the Tigers.

Nothing summarizes the last eight years of Auburn football better than a 35-19 loss to Northwestern. The Tigers were 2-13 on third down and the defense gave up 457 total yards. It’s worth noting that Auburn was without a head coach as well as their best defensive back, running back, and second-best wide receiver.

The game lasted about three hours, but felt like an eternity. When the clock struck zero it was safe to say that many were just relieved to see that it was over. Here’s what fans had to say.

The ultimate takeaway from this loss is that Bryan Harsin has A LOT of work to do starting with a new staff and offensive line. The Tigers may not have started off 2021 with a win, but they have an opportunity to completely hit the reset button and that’s much needed right now.

These fans watched the Auburn vs Mississippi State and lived to react to it

I’ve never been so underwhelmed and exhausted while watching an Auburn game before. The Auburn vs Memphis basketball game left very little in the emotional tank for football, it also didn’t help that the score at halftime was 6-3. But alas, Auburn …

I’ve never been so underwhelmed and exhausted while watching an Auburn game before. The Auburn vs Memphis basketball game left very little in the emotional tank for football, it also didn’t help that the score at halftime was 6-3.

But alas, Auburn was able to snap a two-game losing streak and the Tigers’ abysmal offense finally managed to find the end zone late in the second half. The final score was 24-10. Here’s what many had to say:

Auburn fans we can now relax, for it is now basketball season. Prayers up for Mississippi State DE Marquiss Spencer who was stretchered off the field in the fourth quarter.

Breaking down Chad Morris’ offense

Breaking down Chad Morris’ offense.

Chad Morris is in his first season as Auburn’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Gus Malzahn.

Malzahn and Morris have similar type concepts within a spread offense built around the running game. The running game between Malzahn and Morris are similar in having wishbone and triple option concepts meshed with a passing game, uptempo style and having motion.

Morris’ base formation is in 20-personnel with a focus on zone schemes. His offense also showcases a lot of 10-personnel with wide receivers in motion. Wide receivers in motion helps change defensive leverage and makes the opposition adjust pre-snap.

Chad Morris and Gus Malzahn © Jake Crandall, Montgomery Advertiser via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Within Morris’ scheme, gap plays take place because it allows a running back to go downhill with power sets and having a lead blocker in counter. His offense also features everything from a Dive running up the middle, to power inside zone with the ability to throw to the outside for a screen.

The inverted veer is another staple within Morris’ offense, which is essentially a zone read with a guard pulling with a quarterback or running back into the lane. This goes back to an element of replacing a fullback with a quarterback or running back on the outside.

Morris demands his quarterbacks to read defenses from the top down pre-snap, while making sure if the middle of the field is open or closed. Within the game, it is important for a quarterback to read defenses top down quickly as Morris also demands his personnel to move quick with tempo.

A quarterback must also read the depth of cornerbacks and their alignment pre-snap. The third pre-snap recognition for a signal-caller is identifying adjusters (outside linebackers) and their leverage on wide receivers, whether it is inside or outside for Coverage 2 or Coverage 4.

Morris also uses a numbering system for a skill layout by position:

3 Back — Tight end
4 Back — Running back
9 Man — Boundary wide receiver
5 Man — Slot wide receiver
2 Man — Field wide receiver

Understanding Gus Malzahn’s Hurry-Up, No-Huddle offense

3 things I, Shea Brennaman, want to see from Auburn in last 4 games

Shea Brennaman doesn’t ask for much but is requesting these three things out of Auburn in the Tigers last for games.

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What a week for a bye week am I right?

We’re more than halfway through this abbreviated college football season. As it stands right now, Auburn sits third in the SEC West behind Alabama and Texas A&M who the Tigers conveniently play back-to-back at the end of their schedule. The Tigers are 4-2 and seemingly turned a corner offensively this past weekend against LSU. Can they hold on to that momentum when this bye week concludes?

With only four games remaining on Auburn’s schedule there are a few things I would like to see to ensure the Tigers finish on a high note.

1. Continuous improvement in third-down and passing defense

Through the first six games of this season, Auburn has allowed opponents an average of 236 yards per game. Sure that’s doable, but three of the four teams remaining on Auburn’s schedule are averaging well over 236 yards per game. Here are Auburn’s future opponents and where they currently stand in passing offense:

  • Mississippi State – ranked 18th overall, averaging 318.6 ypg
  • Tennessee – averaging 188.2 ypg
  • Alabama – ranked 3rd overall, averaging 380 ypg
  • Texas A&M – ranked 40th overall, averaging 252.2 ypg

In the Tigers’ last two games the passing defense shut down two top 20 passing offenses in both LSU and Ole Miss. Auburn only allowed LSU (who averages 338 passing ypg) 315 yards and forced three turnovers. The Tigers allowed Ole Miss (who averages 325.3 ypg) only 161 yards and forced two turnovers.

It would appear that at this point in the season the Tigers are coming along nicely in passing defense, but goodness gracious they have to get off the field on third down against both Alabama and Texas A&M.

The Tigers are ranked 103rd overall in third-down defense and its opponents are 49/94 on third down. Both Alabama and Texas A&M are ranked in the top five on third-down conversions. This next topic may assist the Tigers on defense in a multitude of ways, however.

2. The return of KJ Britt

The All-SEC linebacker had thumb surgery following the Georgia game and has not played since, but is expected to return for both Alabama and Texas A&M. In his first two games this season he recorded 23 tackles. The defense has managed well in his absence, but Britt’s leadership and experience will be impactful when he returns.

3. KEEP RUNNING THE BALL

Auburn is outrushing opponents by an average of 15.6 yards per game. The Tigers have scored 10 rushing touchdowns and average 4.67 yards per rush. This is obviously in huge part to freshman stud Tank Bigsby. In six games Bigsby has rushed for 503 total yards and five touchdowns.

Is it doable for Tank to become Auburn’s next 1,000 yard rusher? Probably, but he’ll have to put in absolute work in Auburn’s remaining games. After Kerryon Johnson’s string of injuries in 2017 I live in fear of the Tigers running their star RB into the ground, so I really want to see other backs in the rotation here.

DJ Williams was limited after the Georgia game and did not play this past weekend against LSU. I would love to see him return soon. Another back who has been missing in action this season is Shaun Shivers. Shivers missed the Georgia, South Carolina, and Arkansas games due to an undisclosed injury but returned to action just in time to deliver a Shivers’ hit to LSU star defensive back Derek Stingley Jr.

I want to see more of both of them in the backfield rotation.

Auburn I know I don’t ask for much, but if you give us these three things the possibilities could be endless. Take the bye week to think about it if you must.

Keys to Auburn’s dominant 48-11 win over LSU

We knew it was coming, we just didn’t know how it would look. Whenever Auburn and LSU face off the one given is that something strange is going to follow.

We knew it was coming, we just didn’t know how it would look. Whenever Auburn and LSU face off the one given is that something strange is going to follow.

This time that meant the worst rule in college football would make an appearance when Seth Williams fumbled it out of the endzone and Auburn’s offense would have a historic performence against a struggling LSU defense in a 48-11 blowout victory over the defending national champions.

The last four times Auburn and LSU have played the games were decided by a total of 13 points. Saturday, the Tigers won by 37 points, the biggest margin of victory in the series.

Here’s how Auburn pulled off the upset over the Bayou Bengals.