Former Arkansas SID Reveals When Morris Actually Lost Team

Embattled coach no longer respected by players full year before Storey put nail in coffin

Arkansas Razorbacks former coach Chad Morris on the outdoor practice fields at Fayetteville, Ark., on Nov. 9, 2019. / Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — One of the benefits of driving 1,700 miles to drop a kid off at college is there is plenty of time to catch up on podcasts.

One podcast featuring 103.7 the Buzz's Morning Mayhem crew and former Arkansas sports information director Rick Schaeffer particularly made for good fodder to kill many miles. The former SID was more than willing to pull back the curtain on some of the goings on behind the scenes involving numerous Razorback football coaches.

Perhaps the most infamous coach he talked about was Chad Morris, the coach who ushered in the darkest period of football in modern Arkansas history. The discussion began with a review of Ty Storey's revenge against his former coach by leading Western Kentucky to a 35-7 at halftime lead in Razorback Stadium.

As Schaeffer quipped, it was justice that a quarterback who was run off by Morris became known as the person who ultimately ran him off. It becomes an even bigger moment for Storey when the knowledge that Morris reportedly knew for certain he was coaching for his job in that game is factored into the equation.

The general perception has been that players grew tired of hearing Morris repeatedly saying he needed to recruit good players because the athletes he currently had weren't up to winning in the SEC rather than accepting responsibility for sub-par coaching and a Group of Five culture. However, according to Schaeffer, Morris sealed his fate in his very first season.

"You know the thing it's ironic about and it shows you, Chad Morris lost it," Schaeffer said. "Here's what I was told, and I don't know if I've ever said this, Chad Morris lost his team the year before that at Mississippi State when he when he didn't play two defensive players because they were interacting with Mississippi State cheerleaders before the game. There was also an assistant coach who was doing that. There was also other players who were doing that, and the team thought he selectively chose those two players when there are others that should have been punished as well. And he lost them right there, and he never regained them."

Those defensive backs were Ryan Pulley and Kamren Curl. Curl went on to become a staple in the NFL.

“Starting yesterday, I suspended Ryan Pulley and Kamren Curl," Morris said at his Monday press conference following a 52-6 loss to Mississippi State. "They will not be here today or yesterday or any part of this week for unacceptable behavior, actions that are completely unacceptable to what we’re about.”

He also had his defensive coordinator double down on calling the pair out publicly for asking for trying to exchange contact information with members of the Bulldogs' dance team.

“Very disappointed," Hogs' defensive coordinator John Chavis said that same day. "They understand that. It’s about perception. Here we are fighting to develop the kind of culture where you’re going to have a winning attitude by every guy that walks on that field. I’m not questioning their character, but the perception was not very good. It had to be addressed and our head coach has handled that. I’m with him 100 percent.”

By the time his second season rolled around, the players weren't willing to compete for Morris. The incident, coupled with the perception that his heart was in Dallas with his family and his son's football team on Friday nights rather than on getting ready for the Razorbacks' game the following day, left little desire to fight for their coach.

"And so you think about the effort they put forth against Western Kentucky, because we learned later that Hunter Yurachek told Chad Morris before the game, 'If you don't win this game, you're fired,' he knew it before the game," Schaeffer said. "Now I don't know that he would tell his team that, but that's the effort they gave in a game he was coaching to save his job. And that shows you he had lost his team long before that Saturday."

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