Oklahoma State Hires North Texas’ Eric Morris as Next Coach

The Cowboys have hired a quarterback guru with deep ties to the state of Texas and the Big 12 as its next head coach.

According to Brett McMurphy and Pete Thamel, Oklahoma State is expected to hire Eric Morris as the program’s 25th head coach. Morris would come to Stillwater after a successful three-year stint as North Texas’ head coach. The Mean Green enters the final week of the regular season at 10-1. Thamel reports that Morris “is set to coach out UNT’s remaining games, including both a potential American Conference title game appearance and CFP bid.”

“Today begins the next era of Oklahoma State Football,” OSU AD Chad Weiberg said in a release. “I am thrilled to introduce Eric Morris, his wife Maggie and their boys Jack and George to the OSU Family. Coach Morris has proven his ability to build and lead winning football programs. He has consistently identified, recruited, and developed some of the best players in college football.”

With stops at Texas Tech, Incarnate Word and Washington State, Morris has, at least in part, been credited with discovering or developing (in some cases both) of Patrick Mahomes, Cam Ward, John Mateer and Baker Mayfield. 

Drew Mestemaker, Morris’ QB at North Texas this season, leads the nation in passing yards as a redshirt freshman who didn’t start a varsity game in high school.

“I think we have a great process here, and we’re committed to that process,” Morris said. “The quarterback recruiting happens so early nowadays, and everybody’s concerned about what Rivals and 247 rates these guys and are they bringing in a four or five star. We don’t care about that. We like to look at some different qualities in a quarterback, and it’s worked out good. I kinda learned this from Mike Leach and Kliff Kingsbury back in the day. We’re a lot more patient than people. We don’t care what they’re rated.

“I think there’s a lot to do with intelligence and how fast they process information. All those guys you mentioned are different in their own right. They’re really good at throwing the football. There’s a lot of people that are good at throwing the football nowadays, but the ability to process information super fast is what separates all those guys.”

If you have good quarterback play, more often than not that translates to a good offense. 

Entering the final week of the regular season, North Texas ranks first nationally in scoring offense (46.3 points per game) and total offense (503.3 yards per game).

Before his time leading the Mean Green, Morris spent one season as Washington State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. There, Morris flipped the commitment of Mateer, who had previously been pledged to Central Arkansas. Mateer redshirted in Morris’ year as the Cougars’ OC, but just two years later (in 2024), Mateer ranked 22nd nationally in passing yards with 3,139. In that same season, Morris’ quarterback at UNT, Chandler Morris (no relation), finished ninth nationally with 3,774 passing yards.

Prior to his time as Wazzu’s OC, Morris was the head coach at Incarnate Word, an FCS school in San Antonio, for four seasons. Morris went 24-18 in his time there. Before his arrival, Incarnate Word went a combined 30-64 from 2009 to 2017. Morris led Incarnate Word to two Southland Conference titles and was named the Southland Coach of the Year those two seasons, as well.

It was at Incarnate Word where Morris recruited Cam Ward, a no-star recruit who threw for 4,648 yards and 47 touchdowns in 2021 with the Cardinals, leading Incarnate Word to a Southland Conference title. He then transferred to Washington State with Morris and threw for 3,232 yards and 23 touchdowns in his first season at the FBS level. Ward stayed at Washington State for the 2023 season before transferring to Miami and being taken No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Before Incarnate Word, Morris worked at Texas Tech, his alma mater, from 2013 to 2017 under Kliff Kingsbury. There, Morris was Mahomes’ OC. Mahomes, according to 247Sports, had three offers coming out of high school in 2014 – Texas Tech, Oklahoma State (dang) and Rice. He’d go on to throw for 9,705 yards and 77 touchdowns in his final two seasons as a Red Raider with Morris at OC.

A native of Shallowater, Texas – a town of about 3,000 northwest of Lubbock – Morris was a wide receiver at Texas Tech from 2005 to 2008 under Mike Leach. He was an All-Big 12 punt returner his senior year and finished his career with 184 catches for 1,965 yards and 19 receiving touchdowns, playing his final two seasons alongside Michael Crabtree. 

Morris has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Texas Tech. He and his wife, Maggie, have two sons, Jack and George.

“For many reasons, including the kind of person he is and the lasting relationships he builds with his players, Coach Morris is the perfect fit as the next leader of Cowboy Football,” Weiberg said. “The future is bright for OSU Football and I look forward to introducing him and his family to our team, our former players and all Cowboy fans.”