See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack

ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION with Oklahoma State Head Coach Eric Morris

Date: March 5, 2026

Episode Overview

In this in-depth conversation, host David Pollack interviews Eric Morris, the newly appointed Head Coach of Oklahoma State football. The discussion covers Coach Morris’s journey from a small-town upbringing to leading a Big 12 Power Four program, his coaching influences, recruiting philosophies, roster-building in the new college football landscape, and how his personal values shape his approach on and off the field. The episode offers candid insights on player development, staff hiring (including the importance of a GM in today's game), NIL dynamics, and how the culture of college football and offensive strategies are evolving.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Oklahoma State? Home, Community, Fit

Timestamps: [01:09]–[03:26]

• Morris grew up in a small farming community in West Texas, the son of a high school coach, making Stillwater’s small-town, football-obsessed environment a perfect fit.
• Oklahoma State offers the mix of a close-knit community to raise his family and the excitement of coaching at a high-level football program.
• He credits former coach Mike Gundy for laying a winning foundation and highlights the strong support from alumni and top-tier facilities.

Quote:
“I thought I kind of got that perfect mix of raising my family in a small town and being able to coach, you know, some big time power four football… The reception has been great. I mean I think everybody wants this place to be great. Everything’s all about Oklahoma State and in Stillwater.”
— Eric Morris [01:43]

2. Fatherhood, Youth Sports, and Parenting Perspective

Timestamps: [03:26]–[08:03]

• Morris discusses the challenge of being both a football coach and the father of two young boys who are deeply involved in sports.
• He emphasizes letting kids enjoy childhood and sports for fun, delaying intense coaching until a child expresses true passion and commitment.
• Criticism of the current state of youth sports: “the way these coaches act… cursing at these kids... setting such a bad example for today’s youth.”
• Both Morris and Pollack stress the importance of allowing children to fail and learn from setbacks.

Memorable Exchange:
Pollack: “When they’re younger, aggressiveness wins. When they’re in middle school, puberty wins. When they’re in high school, genetics wins. Like, let them be a kid...You can pump the brakes, they can kind of chillax a little bit.” [05:24]

Morris: “I think some of these youth sports are setting such a bad example for today’s youth… coaching is just another extension of teaching.” [06:44]

3. Coaching Influences & Career Path

Timestamps: [08:03]–[10:51]

• Morris’s coaching tree is a who’s-who of modern offensive minds: he learned under or alongside Art Briles, Dana Holgorsen, Sonny Dykes, Lincoln Riley, Mike Leach, and more.
• His early years at Texas Tech as a player and later as a graduate assistant solidified his foundational knowledge of X’s and O’s across all positions.
• Decision to follow Cliff Kingsbury to Houston, then Mike Leach to Washington State, learning firsthand about hiring staff and building program culture.

Quote:
“I was a gym rat. I’d sit in Sonny Dyke’s office, I’d sit in Lincoln Riley’s office, I’d sit in Dana Holgorsen’s office and make him teach me everything, not just receiver…what’s the O line doing? What’s our quarterback’s read on quick game? How are we reading the progression?”
— Eric Morris [08:28]

4. Building a Program: Culture, Staff, and Early Experience

Timestamps: [12:49]–[16:21]

• At Washington State, saw Mike Leach prioritize the strength coach hire as foundational to changing a team’s culture.
• Observed two very different staff-building models: Leach’s highly strategic approach vs. Kingsbury’s less experienced, friend-based hires.
• Morris’s first head job at Incarnate Word was labeled “career suicide” by mentors but proved formative: “I had this blank sheet of, all right, I’m going to do this my way…” [15:11]

5. Quarterback Evaluation, Unlikely Stars, and the Drew Messamaker Story

Timestamps: [16:21]–[21:16]

• Morris has a history of identifying undervalued QBs (e.g., Cam Ward, Patrick Mahomes).
• Drew Messamaker, current OSU QB, never started in high school, arrived as a walk-on, and eventually led the nation in passing.
• Morris admits Messamaker’s recruitment was largely serendipity and credits QB trainer Jeff Christiansen for the initial push: “He didn’t play… you want me to take a kid… I can’t even watch his tape?” [17:21]
• Messamaker’s physical tools and uncoachable anticipation stood out, but his mental growth and leadership were unexpected and crucial.

6. Integrating 81 New Players & Building Team Chemistry

Timestamps: [20:47]–[24:47]

• Morris inherited and brought in a record 81 new players at Oklahoma State.
• Emphasizes a relationship-first approach, with intentional activities (breakfast clubs, cookouts, spades/dominoes, coaches’ families involved).
• Insists on keeping money/NIL discussions separate from coaching to maintain trust and discipline.
• Stresses the need to adapt to transfer portal/NIL realities but refuses to compromise on team standards.

Quote:
“I don’t do any of the money talks. I allow our GM to do that because I’m going to coach these guys extremely hard…no matter how much money they’re being paid.” [21:16]

7. The New General Manager (GM) Role in College Football

Timestamps: [24:47]–[29:19]

• Hired a 24-year-old GM, Raj Murdy, for his intelligence and adaptability (“super smart…a wizard on spreadsheets… I’m terrible at Excel.”)
• The GM manages NIL and roster cap-like considerations, critical for balancing resources in modern college football.
• Morris values “competitive character” in recruiting, often prioritizing proven lower-division players over higher-profile castoffs.

Quote:
“Even if I have, you know, half or a little bit more of that, then I’m gonna go find a really good player somewhere… my staff knows that very well. When we have a decision on who we’re taking, I want to know who they talk to and what’s the competitive character of this kid.” [26:27]

8. Changing Competitive Balance in the New Era

Timestamps: [31:18]–[34:44]

• Pollack and Morris agree the transfer portal and NIL have shifted the landscape, providing more teams with a genuine chance to compete.
• Morris believes focusing on competitive character and roster fit can offset budget imbalances and help build a top-tier squad.

Quote:
“The top tier of our roster we can put together right now, we’re able to compete with anybody… ROI is a real thing in college football. Your money better be on the field.” [32:19]

9. Memories: Mahomes & Mayfield “Discovery” Moments

Timestamps: [34:44]–[39:35]

• Mahomes was lightly recruited—his athleticism was eye-popping but mechanics raw; his first practice “highlight” signaled to coaches he was special.
• Baker Mayfield’s leadership and charisma shone through in a camp dance-off, solidifying his status among teammates.
• Both were not heavily pursued by power programs, highlighting the unpredictability of quarterback success.

Quote:
“The first throw, like, really live in action…throwing a dot like that for a touchdown to backside dig was the first time you’re like, holy smokes. Not many humans in America could make that throw.”
— Eric Morris [36:15]

10. The Evolution of College Offenses & The “Running” Revolution

Timestamps: [39:35]–[42:32]

• Offenses are cycling back to more power sets (12/13 personnel), using the run game more intentionally.
• Defenses have caught up to the spread-game secrets; successful teams must innovate with formations and stick to a strong run identity.
• Morris stresses the “run to win championships” mantra as a key point of difference from the Leach tree’s air-it-out legacy.

Quote:
“I’m a big believer in running the football. And you got to run the football to win championships… There’s an identity that comes with the team that practices that way… it starts and ends with that on both sides of the ball.” [41:25]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Let them be a kid… you can pump the brakes, they can be a kid and kind of chillax a little bit.” — David Pollack [05:24]
• “Coaching is just another extension of teaching.” — Eric Morris [06:44]
• “You really have to surround yourself… it takes an army of people that are willing to serve your program every day.” — Eric Morris [13:51]
• “I bought two barbecue pits and… we all sit outside… and just spend time together. I don’t know a better way of forming relationships and building trust.” — Eric Morris [21:16]
• “Competitive character, I think, is still one of the most important things in all of college sports and sports in general.” — Eric Morris [26:27]
• “ROI is a real thing in college football. Your money better be on the field.” — Eric Morris [32:19]
• “There’s an identity that comes with the team that practices that way… it starts and ends with that on both sides of the ball.” — Eric Morris [41:25]

Final Thoughts

This episode provides an honest, unscripted window into Eric Morris’s coaching philosophy and personal ethos, offering lessons not only for football coaches but also for parents, leaders, and fans of all stripes. The candid dialogue between Pollack and Morris highlights the human challenges behind building teams in a rapidly changing sport, reinforcing the enduring values of character, adaptability, and connection.

For anyone invested in the future of college football, coaching development, or the intersection of sports and life—you’ll find plenty to reflect on in this hour-long exchange.