Football Coach Morriss Announces Staff
12/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 16, 2002
WACO, Texas - Baylor head football coach Guy Morriss will bring his entire nine-man coaching staff from Kentucky, the new Bear leader announced Monday.
"Our staff works well together and they are as excited as I am about the opportunity at Baylor," Morriss said. "We'll start beating the bushes in Texas high schools right away. These assistants will hit the ground running and do a great job.
"I have been fortunate to have surrounded myself with quality men who know the game of football. They will be assets to Baylor University."
All nine assistants from Morriss' previous staff will relocate to Waco. The staff consists of: Gerald Carr (assistant head coach), John Goodner (defensive coordinator/linebackers/recruiting coordnator), Brent Pease (offensive coordinator), Mark Nelson (special teams coordinator/defensive ends), Tom Adams (defensive tackles), Larry Hoefer (safeties), Harold Jackson (wide receivers), Chris Lancaster (offensive line) and Wesley McGriff (cornerbacks).
The new Baylor staff includes two former BU coaches (Goodner and Lancaster) and five with coaching experience in the state of Texas (Adams, Goodner, Hoefer, Lancaster and Nelson).
TOM ADAMS
Defensive tackles coach Tom Adams comes to Baylor after six seasons working with the defense at Kentucky. A 1982 graduate of Rice, Adams has served 15 years as a coach in the state of Texas, working as an assistant at Wharton County Junior College (1982-84), Sam Houston State (1985-92) and SMU (1993-96) before heading to the Wildcats.
GERALD CARR
In addition to working with the running backs, assistant head coach Gerald Carr marked his 20th year of full-time coaching by spending 2002 coaching alongside Morriss at Kentucky. His service includes 15 years in the college arena with Davidson, Akron, Washington State, Arizona, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Indiana and Kentucky. He also spent four years in the NFL as a receivers coach with the Philadelphia Eagles and one season as offensive coordinator for the Carolina Cobras of the Arena Football League.
JOHN GOODNER
Defensive coordinator John Goodner returns to Baylor in 2003, where he worked 11 years under legendary coach Grant Teaff, serving as defensive coordinator in Teaff's final season. After 14 years coaching high school football, including three years as head coach at Denison High School and a six-year stint as head coach at Waxahachie High School, Goodner got his start at the college level at Baylor. As a Bear, Goodner developed All-American James Francis and All-Southwest Conference performers Kevin Hancock, Ray Berry, Gary Joe Kinne, Curtis Hafford and Le'Shai Maston. After leaving Waco, Goodner spent seven years at Texas Tech (five as defensive coordinator) before moving on to Kentucky, where he spent the last two seasons as defensive coordinator.
LARRY HOEFER
With Baylor, safeties coach Larry Hoefer returns to the state of Texas, where he has spent 22 of his first 29 years as a coach. After graduating from McMurry University in Abilene, Texas, Hoefer began his career as a graduate assistant at Tarleton State. He spent the next five years as an assistant high school coach in west Texas before moving into the collegiate ranks at West Texas State and UTEP. During a five-year stop at Missouri, Hoefer worked his way from receivers coach all the way to defensive coordinator/assistant head coach. He followed that with six years at Texas Tech and one season as defensive coordinator at UTEP before joining Morriss at Kentucky in 2001.
HAROLD JACKSON
Recievers coach Harold Jackson, a five-time All-Pro receiver and 10-year NFL coaching veteran, joins Baylor after two seasons at Kentucky. After playing 16 seasons with the Rams, Eagles, Patriots, Vikings and Seahawks, Jackson became New England's receivers coach in 1985. There, he became acquainted with Morriss, who played for the Patriots from 1984-87 and was an assistant coach in 1988-89. Jackson later coached receivers for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints. He also spent time as head coach at Virginia Union (1994) and Benedict College (1995-96) prior to rejoining Morriss at Kentucky in 2001.
CHRIS LANCASTER
Offensive line coach Chris Lancaster will begin his third stint at Baylor in 2003, having previously served as a graduate assistant (1990-91) under Grant Teaff and as an assistant coach (1993-96) under Chuck Reedy. During his second stint at Baylor, Lancaster discipled two-time all-conference lineman Fred Miller, who is currently the starting right tackle for the Tennessee Titans. Lancaster has also spent time at Clemson, Sam Houston State, McNeese State and Kentucky, primarily working with the offensive line.
WESLEY McGRIFF
Cornerbacks coach Wesley McGriff began his coaching career at his alma mater, Savannah State, after three years starting at outside linebacker for the Tigers. From there, he moved on to Kentucky State, where he served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. In 1995, his Thorobreds led the nation in total defense; three years later, he was named National Assistant Coach of the Year in NCAA Division II by the American Football Coaches Association. After a one-year stopover at Eastern Kentucky, McGriff joined Morriss at Kentucky in 2001 and spent the last two seasons with the Wildcats.
MARK NELSON
After a career that includes seven years as a player and five more as a coach in the Canadian Football League, special teams coach Mark Nelson rejoined Morriss at Kentucky and now at Baylor. The pair first coached together in 1995 with the CFL's San Antonio Texans (1995). Nelson enjoyed a two-year stint as head coach at Independence Community College (1990-91), and also has served as an assistant at Independcnce C.C. (1897-89), Valdosta State (1997-99) and Arkansas Tech (2000).
BRENT PEASE
Brent Pease will begin his 13th season as an assistant coach and his seventh as an offensive coordinator in 2003 after coaching at Montana, Northern Arizona and Kentucky. While at Montana, Pease's offense led the Grizzlies to the 1995 I-AA national title, followed up by a runner-up performance in 1996. His quarterback in 1995, David Dickenson, won the Walter Payton Award as the I-AA national player of the year. A former quarterback himself, Pease brings seven years of professional football playing experience to the table, including two years with the Houston Oilers (1987-88).
