Morris faces the media, talks about moving forward

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sat Dec 15 15:15:38 GMT-04:00 2012

CLEMSON – Offensive coordinator Chad Morris Chad Morris
Offensive Coordinator / QBs
View Full Profile faced the Clemson media for the first time since the final regular season game, and fielded questions about his flirtation with Texas Tech and other possible interviews, but wanted to make sure early on that everyone knew he wasn’t going anywhere.

In fact, Morris said he was going to give the media the same message he gave to his players.

“I’m back. I’m the offensive coordinator at Clemson University,” Morris said. “Like I told the players, I’m back. In fact, I never left.”

Morris was almost an hour late to the interview – head coach Dabo SwinneyDabo Swinney
Head Coach
View Full Profile kept the team longer than usual- but he was ready when he faced the cameras for the first time, and said his being wanted by other schools was a credit to the Clemson program.

“Y’all had me leaving. Even our players, they had me leaving. I think that says a lot about our program,” he said. “Like I shared with our players, I would hope that they would give me the respect that I would let them know, personally, that I was going to be leaving, instead of just assuming I was leaving. I think it says a lot about what we’re doing. To have someone call you, as you would do, everybody had me interviewing several times. A phone call asking interest and talking over the telephone is not considered an interview, by some standards. It leaks out that people call, just inquiring and talking, it turns into a full-fledged interview.

“I’m flattered. We’ve been extremely successful. It says a lot about Clemson and what we’re trying to do. With all that being said, it’s been a week of ups and downs with making sure our players are focused. That’s the number one objective. We’re extremely happy here in Clemson. Clemson has been very committed to winning. Because of that, one of these days, if that day ever comes, I don't judge being successful by being a head coach. That's something I'm not going to do. As I look at my career and the career we've tried to establish, if it happens, it happens. But it has to be the right fit, just as you would do if Sports Illustrated called you and said, 'Hey, we would like for you to come and visit or we would like to talk to you.' You would at least listen. 'What do you have to offer?' And it may not be the right fit.”

Morris then expounded on his “right fit” comment.

“We've got a great thing going here, not a good thing going here, but a great thing,” he said. “If that opportunity ever presents itself, and it’s the right fit, we’ll go to the next step. Until then, we are extremely excited about what we have here and what we have coming back, and the direction of this program.”

Morris then said Texas Tech didn't fit that criteria.

“No, it wasn't the right time or the right fit. We talked, as y’all all knew,” he said. “We visited on Tuesday. Had a great visit, lot of things had to go back and talk about, to see if it was the right fit for Texas Tech and whether it was the right fit for Chad Morris and his family, and it didn’t materialize, so you take the next step and you move forward.”

Morris said it was nice to finally just concentrate on LSU, Clemson’s opponent in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on New Year’s Eve, and then said there were more factors than just being a head coach that come into play.

“It goes through an exhausting process, an up and down process of a lot of decisions. When you make decisions like this, you make the decision, not just based on your family, but there are a lot of things that come into play, a lot of other players and families that come into play. And is there a commitment to winning? If it is, and you’re a fit for them and they’re a fit for you, there’s a great commitment there to win, and you feel like you can go and do it. One thing I know about this business, you get one shot at it. I’m going to get one shot. I’m going to give the shot where I feel like it’s on my terms. And that way, if it didn’t work out, I had every resource that I had to make it happen.”