Former Arkansas, SMU Head Coach Chad Morris Joins USF as Senior Offensive Analyst

The University of South Florida football team announced on Monday that former Arkansas, and SMU head coach Chad Morris will be joining the staff as a senior offensive analyst. The 53-year-old Texan reunites with Bulls head coach Jeff Scott for the first time since 2014.

From the USF release:

“Chad and I have a great relationship and had a lot of success working together for four seasons under Coach Swinney at Clemson,” Scott said. “We are very excited to welcome Chad to South Florida and I look forward to him working with Offensive Coordinator Travis Trickett, our returning staff members and me as we employ a fast-paced and exciting offense.”

Morris was the Clemson Tigers offensive coordinator from 2011-2014 while Scott was the wide receivers coach. Morris left for the head job at SMU which is how Scott became the Co-OC with Tony Elliott.

Morris took over SMU after the June Jones experience in Dallas didn’t pan out. The Mustangs won two games his first year, five in year two, and seven in his third and final season in Dallas. He took the Arkansas job before the bowl game.

His time in Arkansas was..not good. He flamed out after two season, ncluding going winless in SEC play—a feat usually reserved for Vanderbilt.

Morris spent the 2020 as the Auburn Tigers OC/QBC where they went 6-4, and head coach Gus Malzahn was fired after the season.

Morris spent last season as the head coach at Allen High School in Texas where the team went 11-3.

“Allen went 11-3 in 2021, the school’s worst record since 2005, and it lost its first home [game] since the debut of Eagle Stadium in 2012.”

Matt Stepp at Dave Campbell’s Texas Football also suggested maybe the reason it didn’t work out at Allen for Morris was more buyout related (plus a lot of staff turnover) than results-based.

One way or another, it’s a pretty splashy hire for USF, and Scott may be trying to open his own school for wayward coaches.