http://coachingsearch.com/article?a=Chad-Morris-explains-how-he-set-the-tone-at-SMU-from-day-1
“If their way worked, I wouldn’t be here,†Morris told SiriusXM College Sports Nation.
Coming off a 1-11 season that saw head coach June Jones leave early in the year, the Mustangs were at rock bottom. Morris has a tall task ahead of him, with only 11 returning starters, but he says the buy-in from players is there, and that's a start.
“This is what we’re going to do. This is how we’re going to do it,†Morris said. “There’s a plan to win. You’re going to follow the plan and be part of it. You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. You’ve got to figure that out.
“… That’s the culture that’s been established here. We’re going to protect it. It’s my job, every day I wake up, I’ve got to protect this culture. I’ve got to keep reinventing and reinvesting in it, making sure everybody on board is doing the same thing.â€
It’s Morris’ first fall camp as a head coach, but while it’s an opportunity to run it how he wants, Morris said it’s a mix of what he learned from Dabo Swinney and Todd Graham, with a focus on intensity at the start.
“While it’s been fun to say you can put your own stamp on it, I worked for two really good guys,†Morris said. “The last four with Dabo, being able to structure camp the way we did at Clemson, and prior to that, working for Todd, knowing the intensity you start practice out at meant so much. I’ve basically combined the way we did at Tulsa and Clemson and try to create our own style.â€
SMU opens the season at home against Baylor on Sept. 4.
