Texas high school hires Chad Morris as new head football coach

ALLEN, TX— The Allen Eagles have their man, and it’s the kind of hire only a handful of high school programs in the country could make.

Former SMU and Arkansas head coach Chad Morris, who most recently was the offensive coordinator at Auburn, has taken the head coaching position at Allen, the school has announced. He replaces Terry Gambill, who retired earlier this month after going 65-4 in his five seasons with the Eagles, including a state championship in 2017.

“I am honored to join Allen ISD and the Allen Eagles football program,” Morris said in a district press release. “Allen High School is known throughout the state and nation for having a storied tradition of excellence in everything it does, and the football team is certainly included in that discussion. My roots run deep in Texas high school football, and I’m excited for the opportunity to get back to coaching young student-athletes and making an impression on their lives.”

Morris spent three seasons as the head coach at SMU and furthered his reputation as one of the top offensive minds in the collegiate game. That led to his hire at Arkansas in the SEC. During his second year with the Razorbacks, Morris was dismissed at Arkansas, after a 2-8 start to the season. He spent the 2020 season as Auburn’s offensive coordinator.

His experience as a high school head coach dates back to over a decade ago — but he was immensely successful. Morris led Lake Travis to back-to-back 16-0 State Championship seasons in 2008 and 2009, his only two seasons at the school. Prior to that, he also had successful runs at Stephenville, Bay City, Elysian Fields, and Eustace high schools.

“Coach Morris has proven himself time and again as an accomplished coach and respected leader, and he has reached high levels of success at both the high school and college ranks,” said Allen athletic director Steve Williams. “Coach Morris will do everything he can to best support our students and coaching staff. He brings a national network of college coaching contacts, and hopefully, this will result in even more resources and opportunities for our student-athletes.”