Utah State University to Name Basketball Court After All-Time Winningest Coach Stew Morrill

LOGAN, Utah – Utah State University Vice President and Director of Athletics Diana Sabau announced Wednesday that the basketball court inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum will be named in honor of former USU men’s basketball head coach Stew Morrill. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, Feb. 10, when the Aggie men host Boise State at 8 p.m.

“Stew Morrill is a true Aggie legend and having his name enshrined on our basketball court is the ultimate tribute to his remarkable career,” said Sabau. “In his 17 years at Utah State, he led the program to unprecedented success. There are few individuals who have made a bigger impact on Aggie Athletics than coach Morrill.”

Morrill, who was hired as Utah State’s 17th head coach on Aug. 7, 1998, guided the men’s basketball program to 14 straight seasons with at least 21 wins from 2000 to 2013 and 13 straight postseason appearances (NCAA-8, NIT-4, CIT-1) from 2000 to 2012, both of which are school records. During that time, USU played in eight NCAA Tournaments in 12 years. Prior to Morrill’s run, USU had never posted more than three-straight 20-win seasons and had never participated in more than three-straight postseasons.

“Thanks to Utah State University and all the donors who made this happen,” said Morrill. “When I received the call, I was a bit overwhelmed and emotional. Whenever your efforts are recognized in a manner like this, it is special. Of course, none of the success we had would have been possible without all the players and assistant coaches.

“I am fortunate to have a wife, four children and 12 grandchildren, who made my life stable as I navigated my way through the crazy and wonderful world of college basketball. Utah State has a history of excellent coaches and I appreciate all their contributions in making Aggie basketball have such a great tradition.

“And finally, a big thanks to Aggie fans. You are simply the best. The atmosphere inside the Spectrum is unique and a huge reason for the program’s success.”

Along the way, Morrill led Utah State to seven conference championships (2000, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011), including four-straight in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) from 2008-11, and six conference postseason titles (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011), while posting 12 of the top 13 seasons in school history in terms of wins.

For all his success, Morrill was named conference coach of the year five times during his Utah State tenure, winning the Big West honor in 2000 and 2002, while being named the WAC’s Coach of the Year in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Morrill was also nationally recognized during his time at USU as he was named the 2011 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year by CollegeInsider.com.

Morrill, who is the Aggies’ all-time winningest coach with 402 victories, is also the school record holder in career games coached at 558, and ranks as the second-longest tenured head basketball coach in school history.

During his 17 years at Utah State, Morrill’s teams recorded an amazing 402-156 (.720) record, which included a 204-80 (.718) conference mark. USU also posted an unbelievable 248-32 (.886) home record under Morrill, which included a 122-22 (.847) mark in conference play. Morrill’s teams also went 46-20 (.697) against in-state opponents and recorded a 26-11 (.702) record in conference tournaments.

At Utah State, Morrill coached four different players who earned All-American honors five times in Tony Brown (2001), Jaycee Carroll, (2007, 2008), Gary Wilkinson (2009) and Tai Wesley (2011), while Carroll (2008), Wilkinson (2009) and Wesley (2011) were all named WAC Players of the Year.

Furthermore, Carroll became the school’s all-time scoring leader with 2,522 points and set 10 school records under Morrill, the most by any player in Aggie history.

Overall, Morrill coached 15 first-team all-league players at Utah State who won the award a total of 21 times, and 22 players who earned various all-conference honors a total of 36 times, while 22 players earned academic all-conference honors a total of 38 times.

In just his second season as Utah State’s head coach during the 1999-2000 campaign, Morrill guided the Aggies to a 28-6 record, including a perfect 16-0 mark in the Big West Conference, setting school records for overall and conference wins. During the season, USU also set the school record for consecutive wins as it won 19 straight games.

The following season, Morrill again led Utah State to a 28-6 record and its second-straight conference tournament championship, followed by the school’s first NCAA Tournament win in 31 years after posting a 77-68 overtime victory against Ohio State.

Morrill’s 2003-04 squad was his first of three nationally ranked teams, as that group was ranked for five weeks and climbed as high as 19th in the nation in The Associated Press poll, its first ranking in the AP poll since 1971. The 2003-04 team finished the season with a 25-4 record and went 17-1 in Big West play to set the school record for conference wins.

Utah State’s most successful run under Morrill was from 2008 to 2011 as the Aggies won four-straight WAC titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament three straight years from 2009 to 2011. Along with winning the WAC’s regular season and tournament championship during the 2008-09 season, Morrill’s team also set the school record for victories as it finished the year with a 30-5 mark and was nationally ranked for back-to-back weeks, climbing as high as No. 19 in the AP poll.

Two years later, the 2010-11 team again won the WAC’s regular season and tournament championships after posting a 30-4 record to tie the school record for wins. That team was nationally ranked for the final nine weeks of the season and finished the year ranked No. 25 in the nation in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, marking the first time since 1978 and only the eighth time in school history that an Aggie team was nationally ranked at the end of the year.

Along with having three different nationally ranked teams, Morrill also had three of the best offensive teams in the nation during his tenure at Utah State as the Aggies led the country in field goal percentage during the 2004-05 (.525), 2007-08 (.514) and 2008-09 (.496) seasons, while the 2007-08 team also led the nation in free throw shooting (.792).

Overall, Morrill coached for 40 seasons, including 29 as a head coach with stops at Montana (1987-91) and Colorado State (1992-98), prior to taking over at Utah State. He is among the top-60 in NCAA history with 620 career victories. During his illustrious career, Morrill won 20 or more games on 18 different occasions and was involved in postseason action 16 times as he won seven coach of the year honors in three different conferences.

Morrill was inducted into the Utah State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

“The dedication of the basketball court to Stew Morrill stands as a tribute to a coaching legend,” said Utah State Deputy Athletics Director Jerry Bovee. “The donors involved in this special project have demonstrated unwavering support, honoring coach Morrill's legacy and contributing to the overall elevation of our athletic program. The funds raised are exclusively dedicated to advancing Utah State basketball. We extend our deepest gratitude to each donor who played a part in making this initiative a reality. Together, we have crafted a legacy that will inspire generations of Aggies to come. Thank you for your dedication to the spirit and success of Utah State University Athletics, particularly in propelling our basketball program to new heights.”

We ask all Aggies to consider investing in the Stew Morrill Court Basketball Enhancement Project. Your contributions will directly impact both basketball programs through Alston payments, charter flights, nutrition, and technology as we strive to take Aggie basketball to new heights. To donate and for more information please visit: https://www.usu.edu/advancement/give/athletics/morrill.

Utah State basketball invites alumni from all eras to gather and celebrate the legacy of coach Morrill. For alumni ticket information and alumni events taking place that weekend please visit: https://utahstateaggies.com/sports/2023/12/7/stew-morrill-court-alumni-event.aspx.

Season tickets for the 2023-24 men’s basketball season are already on sale and can be purchased by visiting www.utahstateaggies.com or by calling the Utah State ticket office at 1-888-USTATE-1.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT COACH MORRILL

Spencer Nelson, Former Utah State Player (1999, 2003-05)

“When I think of Utah State basketball, Stew Morrill is the first thing that comes to mind. Larry (Eustachy) recruited me, but Stew came in at a time that Utah State was in a good place and took it to another level. There are very few coaches in college basketball, which is such a tough industry, that can accomplish what Stew Morrill accomplished. To be able to win like he won with NCAA Tournaments, conference championships and conference tournament championships, and create the number of professional basketball players that he did, developing them and doing that at a place like Utah State was phenomenal. He was the source of all of it. He recruited all of us, he developed all of us and he coached all of us to the level that we probably wouldn’t have gotten to without him. So, it’s absolutely deserving that this court is going to be named after coach Morrill.”

Nate Harris, Former Utah State Player (2003-06)

“I think back at the things that molded me into who I am today, and coach Morrill often comes up. One thing I always think about is the work ethic he instilled in me. For a long period of time, he was Utah State basketball. I went through high school right as he transitioned into Utah State, and I think he gave Cache Valley exactly what they wanted from a coach, somebody who stays there long-term and was the face of the program for 17 years. It was a perfect marriage in the sense that he loved Logan and Logan loved him back. He had opportunities to leave and chose not to. For me and a lot of people, he continues to be the face of the program, so it’s fitting that the court’s going to be named after him.”

Jaycee Carroll, Former Utah State Player (2005-08)

“I’m so excited for coach Morrill and it is more than deserving. Coach Morrill is the winningest coach in the history of Utah State. He took what was a pretty good basketball program and turned it into something special and elite. The conference championships, the titles and the postseason runs speak for themselves. On a personal note, I’m forever grateful for coach Morrill. He took a chance on a goofy undersized scorer from Evanston, Wyoming. He gave me the opportunity to play Division I basketball and helped me become the type of player that led to me being able to live my dream of playing professional basketball. I’m forever grateful for coach Morrill, for his staff and for everything he did to help me achieve my basketball dreams.”

Gary Wilkinson, Former Utah State Player (2008-09)

“When I think of coach Morrill, I can’t separate him from the successes I achieved playing for him. He’s the type of guy that helps instill values and perspectives that allow you to be successful throughout life, and I think that was clear in the way that he coached in his career here at Utah State. There is never going to be another coach that wins as many games as coach Morrill has won here, and I can’t think of anything more deserving for him than to have his name memorialized at Utah State and remembered for everything he’s done for this program.”

Tai Wesley, Former Utah State Player (2008-11)

“For me, when you think of Utah State basketball you think of coach Stew Morrill and the legacy and the program and everything that he’s built. I owe so much of my career to him, and not just basketball. Coach Morrill was a father figure for me and a person that I really looked up to and respected. I have the utmost respect for him, and I love coach Morrill dearly for everything that he’s done for me, for Logan, Utah, for Utah State University and for that basketball program. There are not enough words to explain everything that he’s done for me and for everybody in that community.”

Randy Rahe, Former Utah State Assistant Coach (1999-2004)

“This is extremely well deserved. What coach Morrill did up there, I don’t think will ever be done again, with all the championships, and the wins, and being the winningest coach. Everything he accomplished up there, he more than deserves to have this done for him and the honor he’s going to receive is tremendous. My first thought was ‘of course they should.’ What he did was remarkable. It wasn’t just about the wins and the championships; it’s how he ran his program and the kind of kids he brought in. He ran his program with such class and character. I’m so happy for him and so proud to say that I was on his staff for a while. He’s a tremendous head coach and a tremendous person. He’s my mentor and I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did in basketball without him.”

Don Verlin, Former Utah State Assistant Coach (1999-2008)

“This is obviously an unbelievable honor and accomplishment for coach Morrill, and well deserved, there’s no question about that. I know the time he spent in Logan and what he was able to do year in and year out with that men’s basketball program is really second to none. He had a major impact on my coaching career and what I was able to accomplish in basketball. I worked for coach for 15 years. All the lessons he taught me throughout the years, the amount of time he spent with me, it was always a great relationship and I cherish all those times with him. I almost can’t put it into words what it meant to me and my family, and we’re still close to this day.”

Tim Duryea, Former Utah State Assistant Coach (2002-2015); Head Coach (2016-18)

“Nobody has ever been more deserving to have a court named after them at any institution anywhere. Coach Morrill took Utah State basketball and its fans on a 17-year magic carpet ride of thrills and an unbelievable experience. To be a fan, coach, or player, and to be involved with the program during those years was something that I think all of us will remember for the rest of our lives. More than anything, I’m thrilled that it’s happening now. I couldn’t be more pleased for Stew and Vicki.”