Morrill’s contract ‘reaffirmed’
Utah State’s first Top 25 ranking since 1978.
2004 Big West regular season co-champs.
A 25-4 record, including 17-1 in conference.
Add one more notch to Utah State men’s basketball Head Coach Stew Morrill’s belt this year: An “enhancement” for the remaining eight years on his current contract.
“When I came to Utah State, I thought this would probably be my last coaching job,” Morrill said in a university press release. “This gesture by Utah State makes me quite certain of that. Loyalty is a two-way street and it is really nice when everyone involved understands that principle.”
Morrill is on vacation and was unavailable for comment. Over the last five years, Morrill’s Aggies have averaged 25.6 wins.
USU’s acting Athletics director Fred Hunsaker denied that the rumors about Morrill filling the vacant head coaching position at the University of Utah had any impact on the decision to enhance Morrill’s contract, saying Morrill’s contributions as a coach merited the change.
“We are reaffirming his contract,” Hunsaker said in the press release. “He is extremely valuable to us and we want him to know how much we appreciate him and what he has done for our program. We look forward to many more years of association with Coach Morrill.”
Each year Morrill has been coached at USU, other institutions have contacted the university to express interest in talking to Morrill, Hunsaker said, something he expects will continue.
Morrill’s comments Thursday sounded like a man who is staying put.
“I have said on many occasions how much I enjoy coaching at Utah State University and living in Cache Valley,” Morrill said. “I am very appreciative of the commitment and support that the administration has given to me and to our coaching staff. We are truly excited about the accomplishments of the past six years and look forward to the challenges that lie ahead.”
The details of the contract have not been finalized and the process could take as long as a month, Hunsaker said. Salary numbers, bonuses and incentives still remain to be decided.
According to the 2003 USU Salary Report of Budgeted Funds book, Morrill is currently making $200,000 per year. Morrill is inked through 2012 as coach of the Aggies.
In comparison, USU President Kermit L. Hall makes $215,000. Football Head Coach Mick Dennehy makes $151,900 per year and Reagan Pebley, the women’s basketball head coach, makes $60,000.
Hunsaker said the decision to offer Morrill the improved contract was made primarily by Hall and himself.
Under Morrill’s guidance since coming from Colorado State in 1999, Utah State’s basketball team has a 143-46 record and has won the Big West regular season title three times.
Utah State’s season ended with a loss to Hawaii at the Spectrum in the National Invitational Tournament after the Aggies became the first ranked team ever to be overlooked by the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
Even after the committee’s decision, Utah State finished the season ranked No. 21 in the AP Top 25 poll and No. 22 in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Last year, the Aggies lost to eventual national-runner-up Kansas by three points in the first round of the NCAA Tourney. Morrill’s only postseason win was an upset over Ohio State in the 2001 tourney.
-royburton@cc.usu.edu