Kevin Morris New Umass Football Coach

[saint0917]

AMHERST - Promising more of the same success, but with his own stamp on the product, Kevin Morris was introduced Monday as the football coach at the University of Massachusetts.

The choice of Morris, a Long Island native who grew up in New Jersey and played quarterback at Williams College in the mid-1980s, gives the program some continuity after the departure of Don Brown to Maryland Jan. 9.

UMass promotes offensive coordinator Kevin Morris to head football coach (http://www.masslive.com/sports/index.ssf/2009/01/umass_promotes_from_within_hir.html)

[Eight Legger]

What is the consensus of UMass fans about this promotion?

[umassfan]

What is the consensus of UMass fans about this promotion?

On the UMass board we have a rating of 1-10 on the hire... 42 votes 13 of them rate it as a 1 and the avg is 3.6. The hire stinks!xoopsx

[Rocks22]

What is the consensus of UMass fans about this promotion?

For the past 3 or 4 years a solid number of fans who follow the team closely have been calling for Morris to be replaced as OC. For the most part people have thought that UMass has been successful in spite of Morris and that talent has been able to overcome his poor playcalling.

Needless to say, most people I’ve talked to are in shock that we’ll be getting a new OC only by promoting the guy we wanted fired to head coach.

There’s a lot of speculation that the hire was driven by economics as the school has recently been handed some significant budget cuts from the state. The school probably was able to hire Morris for a lot less than someone with more experience and he probably didn’t refuse some significant cutbacks to travel and recruiting. All speculation, but that’s what I’m hearing.

[Tribe4SF]

On the UMass board we have a rating of 1-10 on the hire... 42 votes 13 of them rate it as a 1 and the avg is 3.6. The hire stinks!xoopsx

Ouch!! What are peoples issues with him?

[Libertine]

That's an interesting cast of interviewees.


Other coaches interviewed included former UMass players Ben Albert and Neal Brown, Fordham coach Tom Masella, Boston College assistant head coach Jack Bicknell, Jr., Holy Cross coach Tom Gilmore, Liberty running backs coach Frank Hickson, Temple defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio and James Madison defensive coordinator George Barlow.

Booya, Coach Hickson!

[umassfan]

Ouch!! What are peoples issues with him?

two words... Halfback Pass!

[EmeryZach]

I'll give him a chance. If he doesn't do well as HC, then I will criticize him. But for now I will wait to see what happens.

No need to rush to judgment.

[Brad82]

What happened @ WPI when he was HC-that was strange?

[ngineer]

For the past 3 or 4 years a solid number of fans who follow the team closely have been calling for Morris to be replaced as OC. For the most part people have thought that UMass has been successful in spite of Morris and that talent has been able to overcome his poor playcalling.

Needless to say, most people I’ve talked to are in shock that we’ll be getting a new OC only by promoting the guy we wanted fired to head coach.

There’s a lot of speculation that the hire was driven by economics as the school has recently been handed some significant budget cuts from the state. The school probably was able to hire Morris for a lot less than someone with more experience and he probably didn’t refuse some significant cutbacks to travel and recruiting. All speculation, but that’s what I’m hearing.

Sounds right...but also right in the middle of recruiting season. Keeping a smooth transition within the program is important.