Former Arkansas head coach Chad Morris leaves high school coaching job, back on college market

Former Arkansas and SMU head coach Chad Morris will be on the move once again, announcing his resignation from Allen High School on Friday. According to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, Morris is being linked with jobs within the college level and could be returning there for the 2022 season.

“I am so thankful to Allen ISD for the chance to work with an amazing group of student-athletes and a dedicated coaching staff,” Morris said in a statement. “Allen is a top-notch school system that prioritizes students above all else. I want to thank Superintendent Dr. Robin Bullock, the Board of Trustees, Administration, and Athletic Director Kim Garner for their unwavering support over the past year.”

Spring football wrapped up for Allen on Thursday, having their spring game. Matt Stepp on Dave Campbell’s Texas Football said Morris leaving the program has been “rumored for a couple of weeks” before it was made official on Friday morning.

When Morris was named the head coach by Allen, it was considered one of the biggest hires in recent Texas High School football history. A former SEC head coach took over one of the country’s top high school programs, even if it was only for one season. Morris led the Eagles to an 11-3 record before bowing out of the 6A-DI playoffs in the regional finals to Southlake Carroll. For somebody like Allen, where state championships are the expectation, those results were considered a disappointment.

Allen is most famous for the run they went on with now Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray from 2012 to 2014. The Eagles went a perfect 42-0 with Murray as their starting quarterback and won three straight state championships at the state of Texas’ highest level.

Now, after years of stability for the DFW program, they will be looking for their third head coach in three years.

Prior to Allen, Morris was the offensive coordinator at Auburn before Gus Malzhan was fired. His connections inside the DFW area go back to when he was the SMU head coach, where he spent three seasons in Dallas. He left the Mustangs in favor of Arkansas where the program hit new lows, having zero SEC wins under Morris.

Texas High School football is where Morris got his start where he reached the peak with Lake Travis High School in 2008 and 2009. The Cavaliers went 16-0 and won state championships in both seasons before Tulsa came calling for Morris to serve as their offensive coordinator. After just one season, Dabo Swinney hired him for the same role at Clemson.

Now, after a season out of college football, Morris’ next move within the sport is pending.