Speedy Morris (La Salle Explorers)

Speedy Morris

Teams coached: La Salle Explorers
La Salle record: 238-203 (.540)
Overall record: 238-203 (.540)

1986-2001	La Salle
1984-1986	La Salle (women’s)

William Morris
Born April 26, 1942
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
First coaching opportunities were at St. John the Baptist Catholic School and Roman Catholic HS in Philadelphia
Hired in 1984 to be the head women’s coach at La Salle; went 43-17 in two seasons and reached the 1986 NCAA Tournament
Spent fifteen seasons as the head coach of the La Salle men’s team from 1986 to 2001
- Went to the NCAA Tournament four times and the NIT twice (runner-up in 1987), all within his first six seasons
  - Best season was 1989-90, when the Explorers finished 30-2 and were ranked as high as #11 in the AP Poll
    - They earned a 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament but lost in the second round to 5-seed Clemson
  - During that 6-year stretch, Morris’ teams won three MAAC titles and four MAAC Tournaments
- Explorers left the MAAC for the MCC (now Horizon League) in 1992, then switched to the Atlantic-10 in 1995
  - Morris finished below .500 in each of his final eight seasons and resigned from his position in 2001
Returned to the high school ranks, serving as the boys’ basketball coach at Saint Joseph’s Prep HS since 2001
- Only coach in Philadelphia high school history to win 300+ games at two different schools
- Surpassed 1,000 wins in Jan 2018 at the age of 75; has the most coaching wins in Philadelphia Catholic League history
Along with his wife, Mimi, has two sons