End of an era
After 17 years as head men’s basketball coach for Utah State, Stew Morrill announced Friday that this season will be his last.
“I know it’s the right time to make this decision,” Morrill said. “I am looking forward to some new freedoms and bugging my wife Vicki on a daily basis.”
Morrill will leave USU as the winningest coach in program history, and his current record as an Aggie stands at 393 wins and 149 losses. President of Utah State University Stan Albrecht said he always appreciated Morrill’s understated “aw shucks” attitude.
“I remember a conversation with him a few years ago when he was talking about this guard that he had recruited by the name of Jaycee Carroll and said he can shoot a little bit, but he can’t guard a chair,” Albrecht said. “I’ve always thought about that, and I can’t tell how many seasons, at the beginning of the season when I’ve had conversations with him, I expected that we wouldn’t win a single game all year, and then at the end of the season, we are in the championship game again.”
In 17 seasons, Morrill coached USU to seven conference championships, dominating the Western Athletic Conference with four straight titles from 2008 to 2011. Under Morrill’s leadership, the Aggies boast a 243-30 home record (89 percent), earning Utah State’s home court a fearsome reputation.
“Stew Morrill is synonymous with Utah State basketball and will go down in Aggie history as the greatest coach to ever walk up and down the sidelines of the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum,” said Utah State University Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Barnes. “Stew has given 100 percent in making USU basketball and so many student-athletes into the best they could be, and we’re very appreciative of his 17 years of service and dedication to Utah State University.”
Morrill made it clear his decision had not been influenced by USU’s front office or any outside pressures.
“I know there will be all kinds of speculation; that’s the nature of this. This is my decision,” Morrill said. “I had a few years left on a contract. I went to Scott (Barnes) about a month ago, as he said, and it’s just time. It’s the right time.”
Morrill will continue to coach the Aggies through the current season. He explained his timing as the best thing for the university, as USU will now have time to conduct a thorough search for its next head coach.
“I told (Scott) the office will be cleaned out, and that’ll probably be hard,” Morrill said. “But this, doing it at this time allows the University to move forward, and that’s important to me.
“I’ll just tell you I’ve been a very lucky man to be at Utah State. I’m so thrilled. Not many get to end their coaching career by retiring. It just doesn’t happen very much anymore. I feel very fortunate and thankful that we’re able to do it this way.”
Twitter: @logantj