Acquiantance from a non-sports message board is pretty familiar with Chad Morris

[blueridger]

pure drivel.   

[hawgdavis]

Sounds like an aggressive play caller with a true type A personality a lot like BP without the baggage.

With play calling when you make high risk high reward play calls , the times they go good they are real good when the go bad they are real bad.

Steve Spurier ( probably misspelled it smite me ) was also this kind of play caller and won a few games doing so.

Mark Richt was like this at FSU, he called like he was playing with house money and was pretty good at it.

They all make mistakes but learned from the and got better as I think CM has done.

It makes the game fun and I myself have a gunslingers mentality so I love it.

[searkhogfan]

FWIW I was told by my son (an SMU grad) that his SMU contract had a clause that he wouldn't owe the school a buyout to go to aTm.

I was joking.  But with A&M hocking the farm to sign Jimbo.  Maybe they won't come calling for 6-8yrs.  By then CCM will hopefully have the hogs completely turned around..

[hawgdavis]

FWIW I was told by my son (an SMU grad) that his SMU contract had a clause that he wouldn't owe the school a buyout to go to aTm.

Yea I can see that he played there and I think that this is if he is successful here is or will be our competition for his services down the road.

Something I always thought was funny is Vince Dooley played at Auburn and Pat Dye played for Georgia but once they established themselves at the other that's who they became. Just a little useless information I wanted to pass along.

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

Seems like a balanced assessment without an agenda. 

No one is perfect and smart people grow every day.  Let's hope Morris grows with us.  He's very new to college coaching and he's already given up calling his own plays while at SMU.  As for shopping his name around, Sexton is the master at that.  If CCM's record is worthy of an increase and he remains a good fit, I hope we do what's necessary to keep him as long as the program is continuing to trend up.

True... No one is perfect. We're bound to see more warts as his tenure moves along.

[hawgdavis]

Yea I can see that , he played there and I think that if he is successful here they will be our competition for his services down the road.

Something I always thought was funny is Vince Dooley played at Auburn and Pat Dye played for Georgia but once they established themselves at the other that's who they became. Just a little useless information I wanted to pass along.

[Sivad]

1. Can't blame him for leaving a coordinator position for a HC job.
2. Can't blame him for leaving SMU for Arkansas.

[(notOM)Rebel123]

True... No one is perfect. We're bound to see more warts as his tenure moves along.

Agree. I guarantee if someone asked about any of our former coaches, regardless of how successful, people would bring up the coach's faults.

[jkstock04]

Yea I can see that he played there and I think that this is if he is successful here is or will be our competition for his services down the road.

Something I always thought was funny is Vince Dooley played at Auburn and Pat Dye played for Georgia but once they established themselves at the other that's who they became. Just a little useless information I wanted to pass along.

He didn't play football. As long as he wasn't one of their fairy limp wrist cheer boys I can live with it.

Also I think if he has success here he'll leave us in the drop of a hat. That'll be ok though.

[Science Fiction Greg]

Agree. I guarantee if someone asked about any of our former coaches, regardless of how successful, people would bring up the coach's faults.

Yes, the best coaches in the game all have things that will make you want to pull your hair out.

[ronmahony]

Thanks for the information, I agree with the others, that name shopping sounds like Sexton to me. I believe this is going to be fun, man I sure did enjoy it for the most part when Bobby was here. However he had his quirks too. He used to have me pulling my hair out every time he would put in Broderick Greene on short yardage, it almost never worked.

[alohawg]

There is not a coach without flaws. Gotta take the bad with the good with anyone.

[Bubba's Bruisers]

Every coach has pros and cons.  Probably a fair assessment. 

[East Clintwood]

I'm ok with him being emotional. Even too emotional sometimes. It's better than standing there looking confused.

I always wondered what he was thinking.  Now I think I finally realized what it was.
He was trying to figure out which team was his.

[Dr. Starcs]

After having some time to reflect, I thought it would be therapeutic to compile a list of opinions. I will add any relevant posts to the list.

Positives -
Exciting offense
Tenacious recruiter
Texas connections
Motivator
Hard worker
Intelligence


Areas of concern -
Defense
Sec experience
Head coaching record
Unrealistic expectations of fans
Recruiting rankings
High-strung personality (i.e. too emotional)

[Hogs run wild]

high strung like will muschamp or like petrino? i don't mind a little crazy on the sidelines. petrino had just the right amount. either way, i will say those positives are very good. the negatives will take care of themselves if he has a good or even competent defense. all that will add to wins, which fixes everything.

[Dr. Starcs]

Nvm

[blueridger]

regardless...he'll win no less than 7 with this new crew next year.  there are good athletes on this roster...now they'll be put in a winning situations.   

[ChitownHawg]

So an extrovert Bobby Petrino?


Bobby was the master but when he got stressed it was aggressive passes from the shotgun......out thought himself at times too.

Thank you.  I was shocked no one had made this connection. If the description is accurate then there are a lot of ingame similarities.

[Porkette]

It was interesting and refreshing to read a balanced perspective like this. Every possible coaching candidate we could have hired would have had flaws and concerns. Thanks for the info.

[195bc]

Only a few programs you leave Arkansas for:



Texas, USC, OSU, Bama, ND...maybe a Florida or Georgia ......for an Aggie ATM


Guy is an Aggie.  AGGIE!

And Michigan, Penn State, Oklahoma and usually about 10 other programs. On the national scale, we're about the 20th to 25th best job.

[IronHog]

And Michigan, Penn State, Oklahoma and usually about 10 other programs. On the national scale, we're about the 20th to 25th best job.

Coaches RARELY leave a top 20 program for a top 15 program


In fact they rarely leave a top 20 job for a top 5 job.

[Pig Worshipper]

As someone who lives in Greenville, SC (Clemson Country) I can 100% vouche for this comment.

"I mentioned above Morris is a master of the passing game. He will preach the importance of a power running game, but time and again when things went bad he would abandon the run all too quickly. Even if it was having success."

Even I would be watching with my fiance and say, why the hell are you not running?!?!?  You are killing them with the run.  At the time he did abandon the run, all the time, way to early.  As we all do, we get better at our profession as we get older.  I am cautiously optimistic.

I've learned a thing or two over the years so I hope Coach Morris has, too. It is frustrating to see offensive coaches get too pass-happy.

[Polecat]

Pros and cons with everything, obviously. I hope he has so much success here, we start worrying about a "bigger profile" program coming after him. Hopefully if that occurs, he'll have fallen in love with Arkansas just like we have. If not, then our program is in better shape than it is now for the next guy

[cardinalandwhite]

My concern is whether he can draw the talent he needs on defense. If he can, he'll have other programs making a run at him, and the program will be better off than it has been in decades.

[Albert Einswine]

Thanks for the information, I agree with the others, that name shopping sounds like Sexton to me. I believe this is going to be fun, man I sure did enjoy it for the most part when Bobby was here. However he had his quirks too. He used to have me pulling my hair out every time he would put in Broderick Greene on short yardage, it almost never worked.

And everybody in the stadium knew what was up. It was like he was channeling Nutt. Drove me crazy.

[Pig Worshipper]

And everybody in the stadium knew what was up. It was like he was channeling Nutt. Drove me crazy.

That Broderick Greene short-yardage play-calling by Petrino drove me crazy, too! Although I'm no fan of the Morris hire I am looking forward to watching him develop the offense. I don't think we've got a quarterback on campus who can run his offense yet, though. Wonder who he will go after in that department?

[Hogindasticks]

I hope CCM does well here, but I have to look at this realistically.   CCM's son is a backup quarterback to Jerry Jones' son.  The know each other, and you know they talk a lot.   This was  Jerry Jones hire.   If it works out......woohoo!  WPS!  If it doesn't, well....it was because of Jerry's Kid.

[The Hogfather]

I think it's fair to point out that this was from his time as an OC, which he will not be for us.  He also has several years experience as a head coach in between, which will certainly help one grow out of some bad habits.

The shopping thing, too, might be a relic of the past.  This is an SEC job close to his home state of Texas.  I guess there are a couple of potential better jobs for him out there, but not nearly as many, now.

As for the guy that posted this's reliability, I trust him 100% to be honest.

Correct.  This sounds like criticism of ALL OCs, to be honest.

[Pig Worshipper]

I hope CCM does well here, but I have to look at this realistically.   CCM's son is a backup quarterback to Jerry Jones' son.  The know each other, and you know they talk a lot.   This was  Jerry Jones hire.   If it works out......woohoo!  WPS!  If it doesn't, well....it was because of Jerry's Kid.

Well, if it's for Jerry's Kid(s), I feel much better about the hire.

[Dr. Starcs]

And Saint Gus gave his blessing too, don't forget.

[PigPusher]

Everyone grows from being in the heat of some action or the other. Look at Coach Malzahn for example. At Arkansas he was a real gunslinger of a offensive coach. Fun to watch but nonetheless dangerous. Fast forward to Auburn and he has greatly quieted his approach to the game. Coach Morris, I bet has gone through a similar transformation.  Gonna be darn fun to watch as it certainly will not be borrowing.

[BoarnSupremacy]

Much is made of his Red Bull addiction. He legit has ADHD, and I subject that he self medicates with a ton of caffeine. Every off season he was touring the country and learning new offensive wrinkles. So much so that I think he lost a bit of who he was his last year at Clemson. I think he has learned from this but he will jump from trend to trend too often.


I didn't want to hear that.  My son is ADHD and its a problem.  Whatever....the positives outweigh negs.  WPS!!!!

[1dayinthelifeofporkiepig]

Coaches RARELY leave a top 20 program for a top 15 program


In fact they rarely leave a top 20 job for a top 5 job.

IMO, most coaches at a P5 school stay if they are happy, & the $ is good. Lots of coaches had a shot at going to Tennessee for probably big $, but the stress there made them shy away. If CM does well here & the powers that be don't create stress in his life, who knows, he may be here for awhile.

[Pork Twain]

There is some disturbing information

Less so if you give it all the faith it deserves for being a message board post.  Then again someone close to a program will always have their personal spin on things, even if it is based in facts.

[PigPusher]

Sounds a little contrived.  Builds him up, Builds him up, then rips the rug out from under him..  I'm going with mostly fiction

Could also be loaded with much bias and unfounded opinion. Wow, Coach Morris has been on campus only a short time and many of our fellow hog fans here are already nipping at his heels. So many experts it just boggles the mind. Wonder why they are not being paid.

[Iwastherein1969]

Seems like a balanced assessment without an agenda. 

No one is perfect and smart people grow every day.  Let's hope Morris grows with us.  He's very new to college coaching and he's already given up calling his own plays while at SMU.  As for shopping his name around, Sexton is the master at that.  If CCM's record is worthy of an increase and he remains a good fit, I hope we do what's necessary to keep him as long as the program is continuing to trend up.

Just because an assessment is balanced doesn't necessarily make it accurate. Right now his ability to put his eye on superior QB talent and get it is enough for me. I've had enough Allen's under center at the UA to last me lifetime.

[jackflash]

Morris success here will depend on the  defensive staff he hires I think

[LawyerHog50]

Morris success here will depend on the  defensive staff he hires I think

This. He will have a good offense, maybe a great one.

If he follows through with his promise we can be a great team. IF.

[oldhawg]

If this is true, we're in for a looong rebuild. CBB coddled his team and team from end of 2 years ago and this previous year have many players that are mentally weak and folded. Not all of them are, and many could be on the way out. But something's got to give.

May provide an answer/solution to the scholarship numbers game during the next year or two.

[Airforcehawg]

If this is true, we're in for a looong rebuild. CBB coddled his team and team from end of 2 years ago and this previous year have many players that are mentally weak and folded. Not all of them are, and many could be on the way out. But something's got to give.

Or it could be the same as when Petrino took over from Nutt. Nutt was a Players Coach and Petrino would stomp a hole in anyone's @ss. There were players that didn't take well to the turn around, but most fell in line and the progression was fast and steady.

[Deep Shoat]

If this is true, we're in for a looong rebuild. CBB coddled his team and team from end of 2 years ago and this previous year have many players that are mentally weak and folded. Not all of them are, and many could be on the way out. But something's got to give.

I love the way you guys act like you know anything about how the team was managed.

Can we just shut up about previous coaches and see what THIS one does?

[IronHog]

I love the way you guys act like you know anything about how the team was managed.

Can we just shut up about previous coaches and see what THIS one does?

BB had some tough teams when BPs players were still leading the way


They've folded like a wet paper sack since they left...... his players are great young men for the most part but not the types you want in a fight.

[younghog]

looks like we have a wild hog on our hands

LET US HOPE

[rtr]

I love the way you guys act like you know anything about how the team was managed.

Can we just shut up about previous coaches and see what THIS one does?

What the previous staff does sets the predicate for next year.  So the answer to your question is no.

[60Hog]

Sounds like a typical coach.

[HF#1]

Will he cry after close losses?

[Hogs33]

I like this hire but my biggest concerns are:

1. He better hire the best defense mind and recruiter he can get because he knows nothing about defense. The guy that becomes our DC will have full reins of that side of the ball so he better be good.

2. CCM wants to score in bunches and quickly. He can not handle a running game because he knows it is not the best and/or fastest way to score. His ADHD will not allow him to run, even if it working, unless we hit 70-80 run plays for touchdowns on a consistent basis.

I can totally see this playing out: Whaley up the middle a 5 yard gain, Hammonds sweep for 2, Hammonds sweep for 4, Morris: " this is taking to long, throw the fade 3 straight times!!"

[Freebrd]

Well I know that last paragraph turned many of the people on hogville against him.  Shopping and moving on was the reason they didn't like petrino and kiffin

[SooieGeneris]

BB had some tough teams when BPs players were still leading the way


They've folded like a wet paper sack since they left...... his players are great young men for the most part but not the types you want in a fight.

I absolutely agree with this. Santos Ramirez said as much after more than one game. The players have been coddled for 6 years now and what were the results? If a guy can't be coached hard in football at the SEC level, they are probably in the wrong sport.

I think Petrino went too far the other way at times, but surely Morris can find a sweet spot somewhere between Petrino's surliness and Bert's "who moved my cheese?" dumbfounded look on the sidelines. What usually followed was an "I'm okay, you're okay" pat on the back for the player who just made the bonehead play.

IMO the best coach ever before Belichick was Bill Walsh. He was passed over for the Cincy job for Bill "Tiger" Johnson by Paul Brown because he was supposedly "too nice" and "intellectual".

That's not what the 49er players said. The Niners had a tackle on offense named Bubba Paris who ate his way out of the league after a few years. Walsh was reported to have said in practice within Paris' earshot to the O line coach: "get me a tackle who finishes his blocks, not his plate".

Walsh might not have made a big production of his tirades like Parcells and others, but he was miked up by NFL Films and he would rip a guy who was not hustling or making mental errors.

When he retired, the 49 players were ecstatic about replacing him with the buddy-buddy touchy-feely George Seifert. Under Walsh they won 3 Super Bowls in 10 years and won the year after he left on auto-pilot.

In several years after that Seifert managed only one more title even though the core of the team was still young when Walsh retired. After their own retirement most of the players admitted they learned most of their football from Walsh..

No coach is perfect. I will guarantee there are Clemson fans who are critical of Swinney even as they would be considered the #1 program in CFB if not for Saban. The #1 complaint from fans anywhere is play calling as if it's as simple as X box or Madden.

I used to criticize play calling too but have come to realize that many play calls are setting up something to see how the defense defends the play, then giving them the same look and running a totally different play like a double move by the WR.

People criticize the draw play or a short pass on 3rd and 26 say, but that 10-15 or 20 yards you can gain is big for filed position, especially if you have a good defense.

I find it curious that CM hasn't coached his first game here and already we have people saying he is doomed to fail because of something someone at SMU or Clemson has to say.

Can we just wait and see how he coaches and call plays first? I don't doubt that he is ADHD. Maybe the guy quoted by the OP is too? Maybe not. However, there are some contradictory things in that assessment of CM.

In part one he says that CM has a great feel for play calling, great instincts etc. Then he goes on to say in part two he gets too cute or overthinks or is too emotional. Which is it? I suspect it it some of both, making our new coach HUMAN.

I for one don't want a cyborg. There have been great coaches who were stoic, others who were raving lunatics. Somewhere in between is fine by me.

Another contradiction in that quote is in part one, the man said CM was able to get Tahj Boyd to grasp the offense when he couldn't get the one before. In part two we are told his playbook is too thick and complicated..

I'm sure the guy has good intentions and didn't mean any of this as a slam, but admittedly the guy was only around CM one year and seven years ago at that.

CM had never been a college HC at that time, I'm sure he has learned a lot, he doesn't strike me as the type to keep making the same mistakes over and over and expecting a different result like the last guy here.

I was in disbelief when Bielema was hired at first, not in a good way. I was concerned that we were going backward in offensive style. He did a good enough sales job to promote his agenda and I thought it could work with enough good players in the lines.

I learned to like him personally, but it didn't take long to see that he was a fish out of water in the SEC. He was late to the game in recruiting speed over size and strength if he ever got to that point. I do think there is a lot more speed in the last two classes, we shall see.

In the meantime, I will support CM unless and until he proves he can't win here and I will take a wait-and-see approach to his methods and play calling etc. We won't know for awhile, the same as it would be with any other coach. BB was 68-24 at Wisconsin for all the good that did us, and a miserable 11-29 in SEC games.

5 more losses in SEC games in 5 years than total losses in 7 years there. What CM or any other coach did at their previous stops would not automatically translate into success here.

If Saban himself had taken the job, we'd have people on here saying he was just looking for a cushy place to win 7 games a year before retirement. Therefore, I will judge CM on future actions here, not what anyone who does or doesn't know him says here or elsewhere.