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Anyone remember USC coach Joe Morrison?
Posted on 1/7/16 at 1:33 pm
Posted on 1/7/16 at 1:33 pm
Died at the age of 51 in the off-season and, by the looks of it, was the most successful coach in USC history outside of the solid four-year stretch in the Spurrier era. Seems like this was a devastating blow for the Gamecocks who struggled for over a decade as amongst the worst teams in the country. Any insight here? As a 28-yeard old, I don't know him at all, but his accolades seem solid.
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Posted on 1/7/16 at 1:39 pm to rpg37
Black Magic...If it ain't swayin we ain't playin. The man is a legend.
Posted on 1/7/16 at 1:42 pm to rpg37
I am 31, so was really young and don't remember him dying, but the early 80's fielded some solid teams. Joe Morrison was known for his "Black Magic" defense.
We had a famous collapse in in 1984, started 9-0, were #2 in country (I think), then wet the bed @ unranked navy.
When he died, they hired Sparky Woods from App State, who was clearly not ready for the leap.
The program obviously isn't very storied with only one conference championship (ACC 1969), but our best years (until recently) were the 70-80's as an independent.
That coupled with Clemson winning the Natty in 1981 (for which the were later suspended), USC never gained any footing in SC.
We had a famous collapse in in 1984, started 9-0, were #2 in country (I think), then wet the bed @ unranked navy.
When he died, they hired Sparky Woods from App State, who was clearly not ready for the leap.
The program obviously isn't very storied with only one conference championship (ACC 1969), but our best years (until recently) were the 70-80's as an independent.
That coupled with Clemson winning the Natty in 1981 (for which the were later suspended), USC never gained any footing in SC.
This post was edited on 1/7/16 at 1:43 pm
Posted on 1/7/16 at 1:46 pm to rpg37
I remember him and thought he was a good coach.
Posted on 1/7/16 at 1:47 pm to rpg37
quote:
Died at the age of 51 in the off-season and, by the looks of it, was the most successful coach in USC history outside of the solid four-year stretch in the Spurrier era. Seems like this was a devastating blow for the Gamecocks who struggled for over a decade as amongst the worst teams in the country. Any insight here? As a 28-yeard old, I don't know him at all, but his accolades seem solid.
Joe Mo ... The Man in Black. We had that big year in '84 but maybe our greatest team ever in '87 if you go by future draft picks who had good careers in the NFL.
I knew Joe, knew his mistress. Met his illegitimate daughter recently through a friend of mine.
Sports Illustrated and Tommy Chaiken killed Joe Mo. SCAR steroid scandal
But the loss of that recruiting class and several classes that followed really hurt us for a decade and a half to come.
Jim Carlen was a better coach than was Joe Mo though.
I remember Frank Gifford crying on Monday night football when he announced the death of his best friend Joe Morrison.
Posted on 1/7/16 at 1:49 pm to Diamondawg
quote:
I remember him and thought he was a good coach.
He had a super staff at SCAR, including the sockless one ... our DC, Joe Lee Dunn, among others.
Those Fire Ant Defenses were some of the best in the country. We were putting DLine guys, LBs, DBs, in the pros right and left back then.
Posted on 1/7/16 at 1:51 pm to SCLibertarian
I've still got my Joe Mo hat, I'm looking at it hanging on a hook right now ... he made that hat famous around here.
Posted on 1/7/16 at 1:52 pm to rpg37
Good post. Figures, when someone on this board actually posts something meaningful, there isn't an Aggie in sight.
RIP Coach Morrison
RIP Coach Morrison
Posted on 1/7/16 at 1:53 pm to scrooster
Where can I get one of those?
Posted on 1/7/16 at 1:54 pm to rpg37
I read an article one of his players wrote after getting really fricked up on steroids. Big time roid rage, he blamed part of on Coach Morrison.
Why? because Morrison would smoke cigarettes on the field during practice and at half time during games.
Why? because Morrison would smoke cigarettes on the field during practice and at half time during games.
Posted on 1/7/16 at 1:55 pm to rpg37
My dad took a picture with Joe Morrison holding me when I was a baby, and I am now 30 years old. The picture was taken at the Catawba Fish Camp for the Lancaster County Gamecock Club meeting. Still sits on my dad's desk in a frame to this day.
Posted on 1/7/16 at 2:03 pm to TigerintheNO
quote:
I Bleed Garnet:
Where can I get one of those?
I dunno, I've had mine for at least thirty years.
Holtz had a very popular hat as well ... I've still got the one he gave me.
quote:
TigerintheNO:
I read an article one of his players wrote after getting really fricked up on steroids. Big time roid rage, he blamed part of on Coach Morrison.
Why? because Morrison would smoke cigarettes on the field during practice and at half time during games
Yeah, that piece of shite Tommy Chaikin I mentioned above. Here's the article you are probably referring-to ...
https://articles.latimes.com/1989-03-27/sports/sp-348_1_south-carolina
But there are jillions of them from that time frame, it was endless bad press for a decade. Hypocritical bullshite. LINK
Posted on 1/7/16 at 2:13 pm to SCLibertarian
quote:
Black Magic...If it ain't swayin we ain't playin. The man is a legend.
Also started playing 2001. #Legend.
Posted on 1/7/16 at 2:28 pm to scrooster
quote:
I dunno, I've had mine for at least thirty years.
Holtz had a very popular hat as well ... I've still got the one he gave me.
yup always 2 that are brought up around a lot by people looking for them.
I feel like I've once had the Holtz one and not anymore.
Posted on 1/7/16 at 2:31 pm to rpg37
One of my good buddies from the BR area went to play on scholarship for him. After he died and Woods came in, for whatever reason my friend transferred to LaTech. Did not mesh with the new staff and was very bummed about his death.
Posted on 1/7/16 at 2:37 pm to rpg37
JoMo was the only man other than Cash himself who could walk this earth and rightfully own The Man in Black moniker.
Morrison was never an assistant coach anywhere. always the HBC. Chattanooga, New Mexico & South Carolina.
his #40 was retired by the Giants. as Rooster mentioned, Frank Gifford loved Morrison
the 1987 team was JoMo's most talented. #8 Carolina traveled to the Orange Bowl to take on #2 Miami first weekend of December. the game will be remembered for "the brawl" that Daniel Stubbs started pile-driving Todd Ellis in a dead ball situation. Sterling Sharpe and Michael Irvin both put on an incredible show. Gamecocks jumped on Miami early and Jimmy Johnson's canes finally held off USC for a 20-16 win on their way to the National Championship.
1988 saw USC start 6-0 until the SI article came out before the Tech game in Atlanta. Carolina was never the same the rest of the season as the NCAA made USC the scapegoat for all the steriods Brian Bozworth did at Oklahoma under Switzer.
JoMo died Feb 5, 1989. RIP MIB
Morrison was never an assistant coach anywhere. always the HBC. Chattanooga, New Mexico & South Carolina.
his #40 was retired by the Giants. as Rooster mentioned, Frank Gifford loved Morrison
the 1987 team was JoMo's most talented. #8 Carolina traveled to the Orange Bowl to take on #2 Miami first weekend of December. the game will be remembered for "the brawl" that Daniel Stubbs started pile-driving Todd Ellis in a dead ball situation. Sterling Sharpe and Michael Irvin both put on an incredible show. Gamecocks jumped on Miami early and Jimmy Johnson's canes finally held off USC for a 20-16 win on their way to the National Championship.
1988 saw USC start 6-0 until the SI article came out before the Tech game in Atlanta. Carolina was never the same the rest of the season as the NCAA made USC the scapegoat for all the steriods Brian Bozworth did at Oklahoma under Switzer.
JoMo died Feb 5, 1989. RIP MIB
This post was edited on 1/7/16 at 2:39 pm
Posted on 1/7/16 at 3:41 pm to 1801
quote:
JoMo died Feb 5, 1989. RIP MIB
Yep ... he was playing racquetball, started feeling funny. Quit playing and, against everyone's advice said he was going to take a shower before he went to the emergency room ... and he died in the shower. Either 50 or 51 years old ... a young man. Congestive heart failure brought-on from too much smoking and drinking and the stress of that frick Tommy Chaiken.
Think about some of the coaches on his staff here though.
Off the top of my head, Joe Lee Dunn, Al Groh, Charlie Weis (he was a skinny little frick back then). I bet few people realize that Charlie Weis got his masters in edu at SCAR while he was the recruiting coordinator here.
You look back on that '84 team of his though with All-Americans James Seawright, Trooper Del Wilkes (the original Rock), Robert Brooks, Sterling Sharpe, Brad Edwards ... sheesh, that team was loaded.
That reminds me, that '84 defense was The Fire Ants, but the '87 defense was the Black Death Defense ... until that '87 Gator Bowl against LSU, we ran into a buzz saw. LSU may have been one of the best teams in the country that year honestly. I think they had a tie against OSU and a close loss to Bama or they would have played for the national championship ... two close games if I remember.
Man those defenses were fun to watch.
Posted on 1/7/16 at 3:42 pm to scrooster
quote:
our DC, Joe Lee Dunn, among others
Did Joe Lee identify his players by numbers like he did at MSU?
Number 7 had a good game and number 90 had a good game.
Posted on 1/7/16 at 3:46 pm to outlawjoseywales
quote:
Did Joe Lee identify his players by numbers like he did at MSU?
Number 7 had a good game and number 90 had a good game.
Oh yeah ... always. Never called them by name except this one time I remember he called Del Wilkes by name, but it wasn't for something good and I wouldn't have wanted to be Del at the next practice.
Posted on 1/7/16 at 4:03 pm to scrooster
quote:
Trooper Del Wilkes (the original Rock)
1984 All-American
Rooster I'd forgotten about his Rasslin career!
yeah, come to think of it, the 84 roster was stacked more so than 87.
we lost Seawright to cancer in July 2014. I think his school record 29 tackles against NC State will stand a long, long time.
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