Jan. 16, 2008

LOGAN, Utah - In only his 10th season as Utah State's head basketball coach, Stew Morrill is tied with legendary Aggie coach E. Lowell Romney (1920-41) for the most wins in school history at 225. And, when the Aggies take the court against Boise State Thursday night, Morrill will have his first chance of taking sole possession of that number one spot.

Morrill, a Utah native, grew up in Provo and attended Provo High School, and said when hired in 1999, that coming to Utah State was like a homecoming of sorts.

Morrill started his coaching career over 30 years ago as an assistant at Gonzaga, his alma mater. He has since been a head coach at three different schools as he spent five years leading the Montana program and seven years at Colorado State, before joining the Aggies.

During his tenure at USU, Morrill has amassed a 73.8 winning percentage (225-80), including an amazing 135-12 (.918) record in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. The Aggies have gone to the postseason for eight straight seasons under Morrill and are one of only four teams (Gonzaga, Kansas, Syracuse) with at least 23 wins over that same span.

Weber State head coach Randy Rahe, a former assistant to Morrill, said, "In my mind Stew's one of the top five coaches in the country. What he has done at Utah State is mind-boggling. He took a good program and elevated it into one of the best programs in the country."

Former Stanford head coach Mike Montgomery, an associate from Morrill's Montana days, also expressed his amazement at Morrill's accomplishments.

"It's impressive that Stew's on the verge of being the winningest coach in Utah State history. Being familiar with basketball in the West, I know how strong of a basketball program Utah State has had. I think Stew is one of the most underrated coaches in the country," Montgomery said. "What Stew's found at Utah State is a niche and he knows how to win there."

Winning aside, it's what Morrill's former and current players say about him that is really the story. When asked, players that Morrill has coached use phrases such as "blue-collar," "hard nosed" and "team oriented." Former Aggie greats such as Spencer Nelson and Nate Harris talk about Morrill's ability to get players to play as a team and buy into the system.

"I couldn't have asked for a better situation and I was very fortunate to go to school at Utah State and play basketball for Coach Morrill," Harris said. "I was constantly surrounded by good people who ran a basketball program the correct way. Coach Morrill was and still is the foundation of Aggie basketball as we know it today."

Preparation is also a word that pops up when players describe the impact that Morrill has had on their lives both on the court and off. Former Aggie Shawn Daniels, a Big West Conference Tournament Co-MVP in 2000, said this about playing for Morrill.

"If there is one thing I had to say I still use today that Coach Morrill taught me it would be preparation. The way he had us prepared for games was something I had never seen before and we knew everything our opponent was going to do. I still try to use that in my life today." As Morrill closes in on the record, anyone who has been a part of Aggie basketball over the last decade knows that it is that "blue-collar" attitude, his preparation and work ethic that have led to Morrill's success, not only at Utah State, but everywhere he's been.

Former Aggie and MVP of the 2003 Big West Conference Tournament Desmond Penigar said, "Playing for Coach Morrill was difficult and demanding, but at the same time very rewarding. Once I left Utah State I finally understood the life lessons Coach Morrill was trying to teach me and I think that is the most rewarding of all."

Morrill has come to be known for his deep-rooted values, consistency, hard work, dedication, honesty, integrity and concern for the welfare of his student-athletes. All of these attributes have lead to his success as a coach, his players' success both on and off the court, and the success of the Aggie basketball program as a whole.

"From an overall standpoint, as far as teaching the game of basketball, I think he's the best in the country and he belongs in the category of a handful of guys like Mike Kryzewski, Tom Izzo and Rick Pitino," said former USU and current Southern Mississippi head coach Larry Eustachy. "I know how hard it is to recruit to Utah State and he has gotten that program to where it is now the most revered program in the state, and I don't know of anyone who thought that would be possible."