Texas Tech OC Eric Morris named head coach at Incarnate Word
Just two weeks after Texas Tech thought it might lose its defensive coordinator David Gibbs, it turns out that offensive coordinator Eric Morris is leaving Lubbock for the head coaching position at Incarnate Word.
The FCS program made the announcement on Twitter on Saturday night.
UPDATE: @UIWAthletics Hires @TTUCoachMorris Morris as Head Football Coach #SpreadTheWORD https://t.co/dL98ldrYU0
— UIW Football (@UIW_Football) December 31, 2017
Morris has been the offensive coordinator for the Red Raiders since the 2014 season, but has been on Kingsbury’s staff for all five seasons in Lubbock. Despite losing Patrick Mahomes, a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft, the Red Raiders offense still produced, ranking 16th in the country in total offense. Texas Tech ranked fourth in the Big 12 in scoring offense, third in total offense, third in passing offense and sixth in rushing offense. Last season with Mahomes running the show, the Red Raiders ranked first in the country in passing offense.
Morris leaves his alma mater, where he played wide receiver at Texas Tech from 2005-08. He caught 184 passes for 1,965 yards and 19 touchdowns in his four seasons.
Some might see this as a coach worried about the future of the staff and trying to jump ship early, but I believe it’s just a young coach who sees his future as a head coach and thinks the timing is right to make that transition.
This is the third member of the staff Kingsbury has lost this offseason. Special teams coordinator Joe Robinson left for the same position at UTEP with new head coach Dana Dimel. Defensive backs coach Karl Scott left Texas Tech to become the defensive coordinator at Louisiana-Lafayette under new head coach Billy Napier.
So even though Kingsbury was retained, he still has some work to do in the coming weeks to fill out the rest of his staff ahead of the 2018 season.
