Former Arkansas and SMU head coach Chad Morris has a new job lined up, as he is expected to become the next wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Texas State, Matt Zenitz reports. Morris most recently served as an offensive analyst at Clemson and has not held a full-time position at the college level since the 2020 season, when he worked at Auburn as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
With the anticipated move to Texas State, Morris reunites with head coach G.J. Kinne, who served as a graduate assistant on his 2017 SMU coaching staff. Kinne took over the Bobcats program ahead of the 2023 campaign and led it to an eight-win season, posting its best win total since joining the FBS ranks 12 years ago. Texas State, out of the Sun Belt Conference, clinched its first bowl game appearance, defeating Rice in the First Responder Bowl to cap off the successful year.
Morris had ties to another opening on the coaching carousel earlier this offseason. The veteran coach was in the mix for East Carolina’s open offensive coordinator position and was among the few primary candidates to interview for the job. The Pirates, however, tabbed former Ole Miss co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach John David Baker to fill the role.
Morris joined the Clemson staff in an analyst role ahead of the 2023 season. He returned to the college game the year prior in the same role at South Florida. The longtime Texas high school coach served as SMU’s head coach from 2015-17, improving the Mustangs’ win total in each of his last two seasons before taking the same job at Arkansas. He won exactly two games in each of his two campaigns with the Razorbacks. For his head coaching career, Morris held an 18-40 overall record and went 8-30 in conference play.
Morris got his start as a coach within the Texas high school ranks, compiling a sparkling 169-38 record over 16 seasons. His final two teams at Austin (Texas) Lake Travis rattled off two-straight undefeated campaigns and won back-to-back state championships.
Joining the college coaching realm for the first time in 2010, Morris accepted the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach position at Tulsa. After one year with the Golden Hurricane, he moved into the same role at Clemson. His tenure marked the first four seasons of the Tigers’ double-digit win streak, which continued until the current year.
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Following his head coaching stints, Morris returned to the offensive coordinator ranks at Auburn. When head coach Gus Malzahn and his staff were fired at the end of the 2020 season, Morris moved back to high school football, where he coached Allen (Texas) High for one year.
