North Texas football got rolling in 2025 thanks to Eric Morris.
The Mean Green are in prime position to make the College Football Playoff and received their first ranking in the AP Top 25 since 1959. Morris has played a key role in the program’s surge since taking over the reins ahead of the 2023 season.
Thanks to his success at UNT, he became a hot name in the coaching carousel and landed at Oklahoma State.
Here are five things to know about Morris.
Sports Roundup
1. The basics
Name: Eric Morris
Position: Head football coach at Oklahoma State
Previous job: North Texas head coach (2023-2025)
Alma mater: Texas Tech
2. Heading to Stillwater
Morris generated a ton of buzz after powering North Texas’ surge and ultimately landed the head coach gig at Oklahoma State, replacing Mike Gundy.
The circumstances in which he will take over for the Cowboys are quite unique, as the move was announced by both of Oklahoma State and UNT ahead of the Mean Green’s final regular season game. The catch is that North Texas can punch its ticket to the American Conference championship with a win over Temple in the final week and would likely be on its way to the College Football Playoff if UNT wins its conference.
Morris will remain with the Mean Green through the end of the conference championship chase and potential CFP berth before he takes over at Oklahoma State.
“On behalf of the University of North Texas, I want to express our deep gratitude to Eric for everything he has done for Mean Green Football over the past three seasons,” UNT athletic director Jared Mosley said in a statement. “Coach Morris has committed to leading our team through the remainder of the season as we look to finish this historic year strong.”
3. Had a steady rise through the coaching ranks
Morris’ coaching career began in 2010 when he joined Kevin Sumlin’s University of Houston coaching staff as a graduate assistant. In 2011, he took on the role of inside receivers coach on Leach’s Washington State staff.
Morris made quick progress through his coaching career, finding himself back at Texas Tech from 2013-17 in various roles. He notably served as Kliff Kingsbury’s offensive coordinator from 2014-17 and had a key role in the development of quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
After his stop at Tech, Morris earned his first head coaching gig at Incarnate Word in San Antonio. From 2018-21, he led the Cardinals to a 24-18 mark. His career then led him back to Washington State, where he spent the 2022 season as the school’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
North Texas officially named Morris its 20th head football coach on Dec. 13, 2022. After three seasons with the Mean Green, he landed his first Power Four conference gig and was named the head coach at Oklahoma State.
4. He has a successful track record with QBs
While Morris wasn’t a quarterback, he has developed quite a track record of success in coaching players at the position. Mahomes wasn’t the only signal caller to benefit from working with Morris.
Morris notably recruited quarterback Cam Ward when he was the head coach at Incarnate Word. Ward quickly developed into one of the top passers at the FCS level, posting 6,908 passing yards and 71 touchdowns through the air in two years at the school. Ward followed Morris to Washington State, where he threw for 3,232 yards and 23 touchdowns in the 2022 season. Ward went on to star at Miami before becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
Morris has already found success with quarterbacks at North Texas, seeing Chandler Morris throw for 3,774 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2024. Drew Mestemaker is currently starring in Morris’ offense, posting 3,469 yards and 26 passing touchdowns through 11 games.
5. He was a wide receiver back in his playing days
Before he stepped into the coaching world, Morris honed his craft as a wide receiver. Standing at 5-8, 177 pounds, Morris primarily operated out of the slot throughout his collegiate playing days at Texas Tech.
Nicknamed “the evil elf” by coach Mike Leach, Morris finished his playing stint at Tech with 184 catches for 1,965 yards and 19 receiving touchdowns. The receiver was a reliable weapon for quarterback Graham Harrell during their shared stint in Lubbock.
Morris played at Tech from 2004-08, then had a brief stint with the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2009.
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