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Chuck Morrell

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Chuck Morrell
Morrell talking to press ahead of the 2024 CFP National Championship.
Current position
TitleSpecial assistant to the head coach
TeamAlabama
ConferenceSEC
Biographical details
Born1974 or 1975 (age 48–49)[1]
Tyndall, South Dakota, U.S.
Playing career
1995–1997Sioux Falls
Position(s)Safety
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1998Sioux Falls (DB)
1999–2009Sioux Falls (DC)
2010South Dakota (DC)
2011–2019Montana Tech
2020–2021Fresno State (S)
2022–2023Washington (co-DC/S)
2024–presentAlabama (analyst)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
2014–2017Montana Tech
Head coaching record
Overall52–44
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
3× Frontier Conference Coach of the Year

Chuck Morrell (born 1974 or 1975) is an American college football coach. He is the special assistant to the head coach for the University of Alabama, a position he has held since 2024. He was the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at the University of Washington from 2022–2023. He was the safeties coach at Fresno State from 2020 to 2021. Before that, he spent nine years as the head coach for Montana Tech. He attended Sioux Falls, was part of Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff during a five-year run in which Sioux Falls won three NAIA football national championships.

Playing career

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Morrell grew up in Tyndall, South Dakota and attended Bon Homme High School. His father, Russ Morrell, was the long-time head football coach and one of the winningest coaches in South Dakota high school history. He was recruited out of high school by University of Sioux Falls head coach Bob Young, but initially attended the University of South Dakota before transferring to Sioux Falls. His undergraduate track was pre-medical, and he planned to become a doctor.[2][3]

Morrell played safety for the Sioux Falls Cougars from 1995 through 1997. The 1996 team won the NAIA Division II football national championship, the final such title before the NAIA eliminated divisions. Morrell led his team in tackles that year. Among his teammates in those years was Kalen DeBoer, then a wide receiver.[3]

Coaching career

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Morrell graduated from Sioux Falls in 1998 and Bob Young offered him a position on his staff as a defensive assistant. After one year, Young promoted him to defensive coordinator.[3] DeBoer, after a stint as a high school coach, joined the staff as offensive coordinator in 2000.[4] When Young retired after the 2004 season, DeBoer succeeded him. According to Morrell, he was offered the opportunity but declined, believing DeBoer was better suited to the role. Morrell continued as defensive coordinator.[3] Over the next five years the Cougars appeared in the playoffs every year, won three NAIA football national championships, and lost a fourth. Morell resigned after the 2009 season to become defensive coordinator at South Dakota. DeBoer left a few weeks later to become offensive coordinator at Southern Illinois.[5]

South Dakota was then a member of the Great West Conference, part of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Head coach Ed Meierkort, in the role since 2004, was in his second-to-last season. Morrell spent only one year there before accepting the head coaching job at Montana Tech, an NAIA school. Morrell succeeded Bob Green, who retired after 24 seasons.[1]

Morrell would serve as head coach from 2011 through 2019, compiling an overall record of 52–44. Highlights of his tenure included three appearances in the NAIA playoffs, though Montana Tech never advanced beyond the quarterfinals. He was named the Frontier Conference Coach of the Year three times. Morrell was lured away from Butte, Montana, when Kalen DeBoer, the newly appointed head coach of Fresno State, offered him the position of defensive backs coach. Morrell commented at the time that "there's only one or two people in the entire world that I would leave Montana Tech to go work for."[6] When DeBoer departed after the 2021 season to become head coach at University of Washington, Morrell went with him as co-defensive coordinator (with William Inge) and safeties coach.[7] Jedd Fisch succeeded DeBoer as head coach following the 2023 season, and Fisch hired Stephen Belichick as his defensive coordinator.[8] Morell would later join DeBoer at the University of Alabama in an analyst role.[9]

Personal life

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Morrell married Jen Van Ballegooyen, a fellow Sioux Falls graduate, in 2001.[2] They have two daughters.[10]

Head coaching record

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs NAIA#
Montana Tech Orediggers (Frontier Conference) (2011–2019)
2011 Montana Tech 3–8 2–8 5th
2012 Montana Tech 8–3 8–2 T–1st L NAIA first round 12
2013 Montana Tech 3–7 3–7 7th
2014 Montana Tech 1–9 1–9 8th
2015 Montana Tech 10–2 9–1 1st L NAIA quarterfinal 7
2016 Montana Tech 10–2 9–1 1st L NAIA quarterfinal 7
2017 Montana Tech 6–4 6–4 2nd
2018 Montana Tech 5–5 5–5 6th
2019 Montana Tech 6–4 6–4 4th
Montana Tech: 52–44 49–43
Total: 52–44
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

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  1. ^ a b Foley, Bill (December 21, 2010). "Tech hires football coach". The Montana Standard. p. B1. Retrieved October 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b Whitney, Stu (June 17, 2001). "Coaching career was too perfect to pass up". Argus Leader. p. 5. Retrieved October 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c d Sabato, Nick (May 8, 2020). "Trust carries Morrell to Fresno State football coaching position". The Mitchell Republic. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  4. ^ "DeBoer named USF assistant". Argus Leader. July 16, 2000. p. 34. Retrieved October 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Zimmer, Matt (February 6, 2010). "End of an era". Argus Leader. p. 17. Retrieved October 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Reier, Evan (January 20, 2020). "Mutual appreciation". The Montana Standard. p. B1. Retrieved October 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Vorel, Mike (December 18, 2021). "UW Huskies complete football coaching staff with five more hires from Fresno State". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  8. ^ Raley, Dan (February 6, 2024). "Big-Name Hires: Fisch Pairs Young Belichick and Carroll as His Husky Coordinators". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  9. ^ "Former UW assistant coach Chuck Morrell joining Kalen DeBoer in off-field role at Alabama". The Seattle Times. March 4, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  10. ^ Foley, Bill (January 13, 2020). "Chuck Morrell vows to return to Mining City". Butte Sports. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
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