Jim Morris (baseball coach)
Encyclopedia
Jim Morris is head baseball coach at the University of Miami
and previously at Georgia Tech
. His teams have qualified for NCAA Regionals for the last 24 years, 15 at Miami and nine at Georgia Tech
. Morris won national championships in 1999 and 2001, and earned National Coach of the Year honors in both seasons.
in 1975. In 1976, he then accepted the challenge of building, from scratch, a baseball program at Atlanta's DeKalb Community College.
At DeKalb, Morris started with no players and no field, but 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
.
. 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.
, no other program has qualified for the College World Series
as often as Morris and his Hurricanes. Miami, which has qualified for the NCAA Tournament a record 36 consecutive years, has made it to Omaha
in 11 of Morris' 15 seasons in Coral Gables. Morris set an NCAA record for guiding a program to the College World Series
in each of his first six years at Miami. In addition, Morris won a record 14 consecutive NCAA Regionals, dating back to his first year in 1994.
Miami Hurricanes baseball
The Miami Hurricanes baseball team is the college baseball program that represents the University of Miami.Since 1973, the program has been one of college baseball's elite with 23 College World Series appearances, winning four national championships and advancing to the NCAA regionals a record 39...
and previously at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team represents the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in NCAA Division I basketball. The team plays its home games in Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Under the tenure of Bobby Cremins, Georgia Tech established itself as a national force in basketball...
. His teams have qualified for NCAA Regionals for the last 24 years, 15 at Miami and nine at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that...
. Morris won national championships in 1999 and 2001, and earned National Coach of the Year honors in both seasons.
Early career
Morris began his coaching career as an assistant at Appalachian StateAppalachian State Mountaineers
The Appalachian State Mountaineers are the athletic teams that represent Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, United States. The Mountaineers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and have been a member of the Southern Conference since 1972....
in 1975. In 1976, he then accepted the challenge of building, from scratch, a baseball program at Atlanta's DeKalb Community College.
At DeKalb, Morris started with no players and no field, but 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
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the men's and women's sports teams of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State participates in the NCAA's Division I . FSU joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991, and competes in the Atlantic Division in any sports split into a...
.
Georgia Tech
After a two-year stint with the Seminoles, Morris would accept the head coaching job at Georgia TechGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that...
. 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
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. At Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that...
, 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
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
titles (1985–88) and a school-record 51 wins in 1987.
University of Miami
In his 15-season tenure at the University of MiamiUniversity of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, no other program has qualified for the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
as often as Morris and his Hurricanes. Miami, which has qualified for the NCAA Tournament a record 36 consecutive years, has made it to Omaha
Omaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
in 11 of Morris' 15 seasons in Coral Gables. Morris set an NCAA record for guiding a program to the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
in each of his first six years at Miami. In addition, Morris won a record 14 consecutive NCAA Regionals, dating back to his first year in 1994.