Tulsa Introduces Morris as Co-Offensive Coordinator

TU Head Coach Todd Graham got his first choice to call plays for Tulsa's hurry-up, no huddle offense - Texas high school football coach Chad Morris.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 11:26 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa Introduces Morris as Co-Offensive Coordinator

Originally Published: Jan 18, 2010 9:36 PM CDT

Kyle Dierking
Oklahoma Sports Reporter

TULSA, Oklahoma - It was a deal that almost didn't go down.

"Right before they played the state championship, we had been talking and actually he told me ‘no’ the first time," said TU head coach Todd Graham.

Graham still got his first choice to call plays for Tulsa's hurry-up, no huddle offense - Texas high school football coach Chad Morris. He's a disciple of former TU offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and was formally introduced at a news conference on Monday afternoon.

"(Malzahn) and I have communicated on a weekly basis," Morris said. "We generated the ideas from (Malzahn), but I think if Gus was sitting here today he'd tell you the same thing. I wasn't hired here to call plays just like (Malzahn) did."

Morris will be the primary play-caller on offense, while Golden Hurricane Co-Offensive Coordinator and offensive line coach Herb Hand will be the run game coordinator.

"We're basically returning to the balance of how we had the staff before," Graham said. "I think you have to have the guy working with the quarterback and working with the passing game to initiate play-calling."

It was after a sub-par season in Stephenville - at least by Texas High School football standards - when Morris called Malzahn about his prolific hurry up, no huddle scheme. While the offensive philosophy grew into a friendship, Morris says he'll be his own man when it comes to calling plays.

"You can't re-create the past by doing that," Morris said. "I've got to be Chad Morris and through the years that this offense has evolved and created such great success for us and for me, we've put our own little stamp on it."