Speedy Morris (born April 26, 1942)
Teams coached: La Salle Explorers
La Salle record: 238-203 (.540)
Overall record: 238-203 (.540)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 4 (1988, 1989, 1990, 1992)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 0
- NIT Championships: 0 (Runner-up in 1987)
- NIT Appearances: 1 (1987, 1991)
- MAAC Regular Season Champion: 3 (1988, 1989, 1990)
- MAAC Tournament Champion: 4 (1988, 1989, 1990, 1992)
Awards:
- MAAC Coach of the Year: 2 (1988, 1989)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1986-2001 | La Salle |
| 1984-1986 | La Salle (women’s) |
Speedy Morris Facts
- 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
- Best season was 1989-90, when the Explorers finished 30-2 and were ranked as high as #11 in the AP Poll
- 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
- Went to the NCAA Tournament four times and the NIT twice (runner-up in 1987), all within his first six seasons
- 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
Speedy Morris Coaching Tree
- Kenny Blakeney (Howard)
- Fran Dunphy (La Salle, Temple, Penn)
- John Gallagher (Hartford)
- Billy Lange (Saint Joseph’s, Navy, Merchant Marine)
- Joe Mihalich (Hofstra, Niagara)
- Randy Monroe (UMBC)
- Jeff Neubauer (Fordham, Eastern Kentucky)
- Doug Overton (Lincoln PA, Springfield Armor)
