Chad Morris, SMU agree to 7-year extension

SMU head coach Chad Morris has agreed to a new, seven-year extension to remain the Mustangs’ head coach. On Wednesday evening, SMU announced the new deal that would keep him with the Mustangs through 2023.

Last week, it was reported that Baylor football’s search for a new head coach was “zeroing in” on Morris. That search, as of Tuesday, had moved closer to Cal head coach Sonny Dykes, after Morris and Baylor had moved on due to a couple of reasons.

It seemed last week that SMU head coach Chad Morris was firmly in the crosshairs of those in power at Baylor. But that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore, according to 247Sports.

We were told Sunday by those close to the search that Baylor and Morris are moving on. Sources said the once-promising negotiations hit a snag along the way for two reasons: Morris’ desire for another in-state job driving the price tag - and, on Baylor’s end, it was a price and a coaching prospect that suddenly seemed less palatable after watching Navy score 10 offensive touchdowns on 10 possessions against the Mustangs. (Navy also had a pick 6 to get to 75 points.)

It looks like Baylor’s search has now shifted to Dykes, North Carolina’s Larry Fedora, and Colorado’s Mike MacIntyre.

Morris has strong ties to the state of Texas, and has utilized recruits from the Longhorn State within his program. Morris is from Englewood, Texas, and he went to college at Texas A&M. He then spent 16 seasons in the state coaching high school football, where he compiled a 169–38 record before Tulsa hired him as offensive coordinator in 2010. He then spent the 2011-14 seasons at Clemson as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator, where he helped build one of the nation’s most dangerous units.

One of the most notable things Morris has done during his two seasons as SMU’s head coach is successfully recruiting Texas.

In Morris’ first two signing classes at SMU since taking over after 2014, the Mustangs have signed 47 players. Every single one of them has had a Texas address. That’s all they’re recruiting for 2017, too. Morris came to the college ranks via almost two decades coaching high schoolers in the state, so it’s a natural fit, and it’s now his whole recruiting strategy.

“The only chance we got is to win with our Texas high school coaches,” Morris told Steven Godfrey and Bill Connelly at AAC media days. “Well, I’m one of them. Coached ball with ’em for 18 years. Knowing those guys, having their help, it’s a big part of our success in our recruiting.”

Morris comes from East Texas, and that’s part of SMU’s focus, along with Houston, Austin and the Mustangs’ primary recruiting stronghold, the Dallas-Fort Worth area. And virtually every signee is Texan.

“We’re laying market,” he said. “We’re the only Division I program in our state that can say that, so a Texas-tough mentality.”

SMU finished with a 5-7 record, with a 75-31 loss to Navy on Saturday. One of Morris’ signature wins this season came during the Mustangs’ upset 38-16 win over against No. 11 Houston on Oct. 22.