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Former Samford basketball coach takes new position at Randolph
A longtime college basketball coach and former UAH hoops star is taking a new position at Huntsville’s Randolph School. Mike Morris, Samford University’s winningest women’s basketball coach in school history, was just named the new athletic director at Randolph.
Morris had coached the Randolph boys basketball team and golf teams before being named the new AD.
About Mike Morris
Morris moved to Huntsville in 2019 and after retiring from Samford, and joined the staff at Randolph.
He served as the Upper School Dean of Student Culture at Randolph for the past four years. In that capacity, as well as in his experience coaching Randolph varsity boys’ basketball and golf teams, he became a valuable addition to the Randolph School.
Morris played basketball at UAH before entering the coaching ranks. While at UAH, Morris was the NCAA Division II national champion in free-throw percentage, making 92.1 percent from the line. He played his first two seasons at Jefferson State Junior College in Birmingham.
He earned a B.A. in psychology from Belhaven College in 1992.
From UAH to Samford to Randolph
Morris coached 25 years at Samford, first as an assistant on the men’s basketball team, and then as the head women’s basketball coach — where he would retire with 279 career wins. Morris guided the program to back-to-back Southern Conference Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2011 and 2012.
Before his arrival at Samford in 1994, Morris served for three years as an assistant coach under veteran coach Lenny Acuff at Belhaven College. He coached at Belhaven for two seasons before joining Acuff’s staff in 1993 at Berry College in Rome, Ga.
In his first year at Belhaven, the Blazers finished with the most wins in nine years, compiling a 17-16 record. The next year, Belhaven went 18-15 and hosted the first round of the NAIA District Playoffs for the first time in 20 years.
He has been with Randolph for the last five years.
“Randolph is a special place, and in my short five years here I have grown to really appreciate and respect the people and the core values at Randolph. Our aim in the athletic department will be for all student-athletes and coaches to strive for excellence through competition by carrying out our Randolph core values in all we do. I truly value the relationships I have at Randolph and look forward to strengthening and building many more in my new role. I am grateful for this opportunity.”
Mike Morris, Randolph School AD
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