A funny thing happened to me on my way to dismissing Mississippi Valley State head coach Karl Morgan for SWAC Coach of the Year.
I was hard pressed to come to a reasonable conclusion why he doesn’t deserve it.
Yes, MVSU failed to register an overall winning record (5-6), did not post a single win versus an opponent with a winning record (0-3) and the Delta Devils even lost to Division II Concordia to open the regular season.
However, one can’t overlook how MVSU has improved since Morgan took over the reins three years ago. Going from to zero wins to five during that span is not saying much if you’re Jackson State , Southern, Alabama State or even Alabama A&M.
A five-win season at those schools gets the head coach fired. Shoot, Robert Hughes wore out his welcome at Jackson State in the early 2000s after posting multiple 7-4 seasons.
But a five-win season for a school that hasn’t won five games since 2006 is cause for celebration, considering Morgan has the toughest job in all of college football.
Think about that for a minute.
Morgan’s reported salary is under $80,000. That’s how much the get back coach makes at BCS schools (I think) Yet, Morgan, with that paycheck, is expected to work miracles. It’s safe to say that he did in 2012.
It is hard to argue with beating Southern and Grambling in the same season, and then taking SWAC East Division champion Jackson State to overtime. It is hard to argue with tallying an above .500 record within the division.
Some might say MVSU’s resurgent year is due to an overall decline in the SWAC as evidenced by Doug Williams’ Grambling Tigers going from the championship penthouse to the worst season a defending champion has ever had in the history of the 10-team league.
Maybe MVSU is getting better while everyone else is getting worse. I don’t know. What I do know is that Karl Morgan has done more with less than any other coach in the United States of America.
As a Valley alum, I could make arguments that he should get the award but I wouldn’t be upset if he didn’t (the 5-6 record is the sticking point for many people).Still a helluva job. #ValleyNation
chillin662 Morgan will not get coach of the year because the SWAC (by rule) automatically gives it to the coach who wins the SWAC championship game.
“IN the Zone”Coach of the Year Karl Morgan!
You cant lose to Concordia and be coach of the yeah in he SWAC…lets have some standards. Good job though
He want win the SWAC Coach of the Year,I understand ……Hell we Know it will be Confident Cocky Comegy…….Or Monte Coleman that will win the Award. Hell Comegy lost to “BIG WORM”.
KARL MORGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE GOAT