Sports
Morris Steps Down As Ohio Hockey Coach
By: Nick Hart
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After 12 seasons behind the bench, Dan Morris will step down as the head coach of the Ohio University Division I club hockey team.
Morris said that balancing his duties as head coach, head of Bird Arena, and a father of two became a bit too much, noting the program is “too big of an organization not to dedicate all of your time to it,” on an official statement released on ohiobobcatshockey.com late Monday night.
Morris steps down after a very successful 2012-13 campaign that saw the team secure a CSCHL Title, its 26th consecutive winning season and a trip to the final four of the ACHA National tournament.
Morris spent 20 years with the organization as a player, assistant coach, head coach, and employee at Bird Arena. As a player, he won three ACHA National Championships, and he sat atop the list of the program’s career points total (218 points) for well over a decade before Tyler Pilmore broke his record this past season. When calling the shots from the bench, Morris earned 344 total wins to only 120 losses, and one national title.
When one considers his legendary career as a player, success as a coach, Morris has become arguably the most influential figure in Bobcats hockey history, but he feels his success cannot be attributed all to him. “Running a hockey team is not a one-person job,” Morris said in his statement about his time as coach at Ohio. “It’s several people behind the scenes, and a lot of volunteers that have ensured that the program continues to be successful.”
The door may not be completely closed on Morris’ future at Ohio University, however. He concluded his official statement by saying, “I feel that it is important that I step down to make myself available for any chances that are out there, whether it be here at the university or anywhere else – preferably here.”