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National Coach of the Year
2001 & 1999 Collegiate Baseball
2001 & 1999 American Baseball Coaches' Assoc.
1994 Baseball America
It doesn't matter if his roster is full of rookies or veterans, University of Miami Head Coach Jim Morris continues to produce some of college baseball's most consistent and dominant teams heading into his 15th season in Coral Gables. With a talented staff around him, Morris' Hurricanes are continually the class of collegiate baseball, winning national titles in 1999 and 2001.
In his 14-season tenure at Miami, no other program, nor head coach, has qualified for the College World Series as much as Morris and his Hurricanes. Miami, which has qualified for the NCAA Tournament a NCAA-record 35 consecutive years, has made it to Omaha in 10 of Morris' 14 seasons in Coral Gables. Morris set an NCAA record for guiding a program to the CWS in each of his first six years at UM. In addition, Morris has won a record 13 consecutive NCAA Regionals, dating back to his first year at Miami in 1994. His teams have qualified for NCAA Regionals for the last 22 years, 13 at Miami and nine at Georgia Tech.
Morris has directed the Hurricanes to a 642-245-2 (.732) mark since arriving in 1994. Including his 12 seasons at Georgia Tech (1982-93), Morris has forged a 1,146-492-4 (.704) Division I record in 25 years as a head coach.
Overall, Morris has been the head coach at the collegiate level for 30 seasons, spending the first four at DeKalb (Ga.) C.C. from 1976-79, and has recorded a 1,277-530-4 (.710) mark.
In addition to carrying on Miami's great baseball reputation in the last 13-plus years, Morris has personally led the charge in the construction of Alex Rodriguez Park, and has logged hundreds of hours raising funds for the new stadium project, which is scheduled to be ready for the 2008 season.
Morris won his 1,000th Division-I game on April 4, 2004, at his old stomping grounds, Georgia Tech. He also achieved another milestone during the 2004 season, winning his 500th game at the helm of the Miami program. Morris' 500th win came just a few weeks following his 1,000th overall win as a Division-I head coach by beating Florida State 7-3 on April 17. His 600th win at Miami fittingly came in UM's 2006 Regional Opener against San Francisco on June 2, an 11-2 win that began the greatest run to the postseason in Miami's history. He is the second Hurricanes' head coach to win 500 games at Miami, joining Ron Fraser, who won 1,271 games from 1963-1992 in Coral Gables. Miami concluded the 2006 season with the schools 22nd trip to the College World Series.
Affectionately known as "3" by those surrounding the UM program, Morris led the 2006 Hurricanes their 34th-straight NCAA Tournament, 13th straight NCAA Regional title and their eighth-consecutive NCAA Super Regional appearance, all extensions of NCAA records already held by Miami. Morris' 2006 squad is the only one in the history of UM baseball to make to the College World Series by playing its entire postseason on the road. Eight student-athletes from Morris' 2006 squad signed pro contracts following the season, including Major League Baseball Amateur Draft compensatory first-round selection Chris Perez (42nd overall, St. Louis Cardinals). The 'Canes finished fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference, arguably the best conference in college baseball after placing four teams in the 2006 College World Series.
The Hurricanes claimed the 2001 National Championship with a 12-1 victory over Stanford in the College World Series finale at Rosenblatt Stadium. The 11-run margin of victory over the Cardinal tied a 45-year-old CWS record for a championship game, while the Hurricanes' 12.3 runs per game set a new CWS mark. Miami had also defeated Tennessee twice, 21-13 and 12-6, and Southern California, 4-3, to advance to the title game.
Miami finished the 2001 season riding a NCAA-high 17-game win streak, including a nine-game sweep during the postseason. The Hurricanes claimed the Coral Gables Regional championship with wins over Bucknell, Florida and Stetson, followed by a two-game sweep of Clemson in the Coral Gables Super Regional. The Hurricanes' 53-12 overall record in 2001 marked the most in wins (53) and winning percentage (.815) under Morris. Miami also led the nation in stolen bases (228) and relief pitcher appearances (223).Morris also saw school record 11 players were drafted and two more signed to free agent contracts off his 2001 squad.
Collegiate Baseball and the American Baseball Coaches Association each honored Morris with its National Coach of the Year honors following his 2001 title to give him five such honors for his career. He additionally won top honors from Collegiate Baseball and the ABCA after the Hurricanes defeated Florida State, 6-5, for the 1999 National Championship. Morris' first National Coach of the Year honor came in his first season at Miami in 1994.
Morris has tasted success everywhere he has been, and he knew when he came to the University of Miami in the fall of 1993 that there was no better place for a winner to be than at the helm of the Hurricane program.
When he came to Miami, this is how Morris thought it would be. The Georgia Tech program he built in his 12 years in Atlanta took on a lot of the qualities that former UM coach Ron Fraser had been so successful with at Miami. Morris has kept both the prestige and winning at Mark Light Stadium, and has the old-time fans remembering the "good old days," when it seemed like almost every season under Fraser would end in Omaha. Morris first went to Fraser in 1982 when he was given the task of rebuilding the baseball program at Georgia Tech.
"Jim came to me wanting to learn. He not only wanted to know why we did the things we do at Miami, but how to do it in a first-class manner," recalled Fraser.
"In my opinion, Coach Fraser is the most influential head coach in the history of college baseball," commented Morris. "What he has done for this sport and at Miami is legendary. Coach Fraser has made an impact on so many young coaches throughout the years, including myself. He helped me tremendously before I came to Miami and still does to this day."
The Perfect Choice
Athletic Director Paul Dee officially appointed Morris Miami's eighth baseball coach on November 4, 1993. With his wife, Denise, at his side, Morris graciously accepted and opened a new chapter in his storied coaching career.
"This is a great honor, I'm very excited," said Morris. "The University of Miami has a baseball program I've always respected. It is a program that I've always admired."
"I'm extremely pleased that we've been able to attract to the University of Miami one of the most outstanding collegiate baseball coaches in the country," explained Dee. "Jim's experience in a major metropolitan market with several professional teams was an important aspect of his background outside his outstanding coaching ability.
"Another important aspect of Jim's background is that he was able to have successful teams at a highly competitive academic institution."
Leaving Georgia Tech, which was the preseason No. 1 team in 1994, had to be tough, but the usually candid Morris put it in perspective.
"I'm going from the No. 1 team in the country, to the No. 1 program in the country," he said.
Welcome to Miami
Morris' admiration for the Hurricanes' baseball program began when he first came in contact with it as a 22-year old shortstop. He asked Coach Fraser's permission to take ground balls on the new Tartan Turf that would later become a part of Mark Light Stadium. His meeting with Fraser and his chance to practice at the Light left an impact on Morris that he would not forget as he began his professional career.
Morris ended up playing two seasons in the Boston Red Sox minor league system. Though his playing days came to an early end, he quickly saw that he had a future in coaching. An assistant coaching stint at Appalachian State in 1975 set the groundwork. In 1976, he then accepted the challenge of building, from scratch, a baseball program at Atlanta's DeKalb Community College's South campus.
Building the Best
At DeKalb, Morris started with no players and no field. After settling those "minor" issues, he quickly made a name for himself. His Eagles were nationally ranked three times in four years and advanced to the 1977 Junior College World Series. DeKalb finished second in just his second season.
Morris added two more winning years at DeKalb before moving on to become an assistant coach at Florida State University.
Carrying the Tradition
On May 23, 1981, Morris received his second dose of Mark Light schooling. On that night, an overflow crowd packed The Light for a game vs. Florida State. Fraser, ever the showman, wasn't about to turn away a patron.
"Coach Fraser asked us if it was all right to rope off sections of foul territory down the lines. We said sure, and they were packed 10-feet deep in there. It was most incredible thing I've ever seen in college baseball. Fraser also asked us if we'd consider roping off the warning track, but we balked at that," added Morris.
"I remember how exciting that game was and it was the first game I saw at the University of Miami. It was an outstanding day for me."
Miami defeated the Seminoles, 14-6, that night in front of 7,268 fans. It was a big night for the Hurricanes and one that Jim Morris would never forget.
A year later Morris would accept a huge challenge in accepting the head coaching job at Georgia Tech. It was a reclamation project as the Yellow Jackets were on the backside of four straight losing seasons and were 4-23 in their first two seasons in the Atlantic Coast Conference. At Georgia Tech, Morris was the all-time leader in coaching victories, in any of the school's varsity sports, as he had 12 straight winning seasons, nine straight NCAA regional berths, four straight Atlantic Coast Conference titles (1985-88) and a school-record 51 wins in 1987.
In 1985 Morris was asked to be director of marketing and ticket sales by Dr. Homer Rice at Georgia Tech. Morris had put the Yellow Jackets' program on the map in baseball, and in the process raised money for lights and a new stadium. After one year, Morris decided it was impossible to do both and chose to focus his efforts completely on baseball even though he had great love for marketing and fundraising.
Major League Guidance
Over 150 professional baseball players have played under Morris during their college careers at Miami, Georgia Tech and DeKalb.
Among the players Morris coached at Miami that went on to play in the Major Leagues were Pat Burrell (Philadelphia Phillies), Alex Cora (Boston Red Sox), Bobby Hill (San Diego Padres), Charlton Jimerson (Houston Astros), Aubrey Huff (Houston Astros), Jay Tessmer (New York Yankees), Danny Graves and Jason Michaels (Cleveland Indians). Several more Hurricanes during the Morris tenure are right on the cusp of making the show, including Mike Rodriguez (Houston), Cesar Carrillo (San Diego), Ryan Braun (Milwaukee), Brian Barton (Cleveland) and David Gil (Cincinnati).
Standout players under Morris from his days at Georgia Tech were Nomar Garciaparra (Los Angeles Dodgers), Jay Payton (Oakland A's) and Jason Varitek (Boston Red Sox). Morris has also enjoyed success on the International scene. From 1989-90, Morris served as head coach of the USA Baseball team that won a Silver Medal in the 1989 Presidential Cup (Taiwan), Bronze Medal at the Goodwill Games and the 1990 International Baseball Association (IBA) World All-Star Game in Atlanta. At the Goodwill Games, his USA squad won two of three games against Cuba, marking the first time in history a senior-level team won a series with Cuba. In 1987, Morris served as pitching coach under Ron Fraser at the Pan American Games (Silver Medal).
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