Guy Morriss enters his third season as the head football coach at Texas A&M University-Commerce in 2011. Morriss became the 18th football coach in A&M-Commerce history on January 7, 2009.

In 2010, Morriss led a young Lion squad to a 3-8 mark on the season, with five games being decided by five points or less. With 18 freshmen seeing significant playing time, Morriss called the development of those young Lions the most memorable aspect of the 2010 campaign and a source of extreme optimism for the upcoming seasons.

Morriss made an immediate impression in his first season on the Lion sidelines, leading A&M-Commerce to the Lone Star Conference North Division title, posting a 5-0 division mark en route to being named the 2009 LSC Coach of the Year. It marked the first outright divisional title for A&M-Commerce since 1990. The five victories by Morriss in his Lion debut were the most since J.V. Sikes won six in his first season on the Commerce sidelines in 1954. A&M-Commerce closed out the 2009 season on a five-game winning streak, the longest run in the program’s history since Eddie Vowell led the Lions to five consecutive victories in 1992.

The Lions had 11 players earn all-Lone Star Conference North Division honors, including R.J. Brisbon, who was selected as the co-Offensive Lineman of the Year, William Green as the Defensive Lineman of the Year and Cory Whitfield as the Linebacker of the Year. Two members of the team were selected to the Lone Star Conference All-Academic Team for their efforts on the field and in the classroom. Three members of the team - Brisbon, Green and Chad Washington - were selected to participate in the 2010 Cactus Bowl, with Green receiving multiple All-America honors.

Morriss’ hiring in 2009 drew attention from the national media as he made his homecoming to Northeast Texas. Upon Morriss’ hiring, Texas A&M University-Commerce Athletic Director Carlton Cooper said, “We are very excited to have Guy Morriss join our Lion athletic family. He brings a wealth of football knowledge and relationships to our program. When we started this search, we were looking for a football coach to take our program in a new direction and build a program nationally recognized. We have selected the right person by choosing Guy Morriss to lead our football program.”

The former head coach at Baylor University from 2003-2007 and the University of Kentucky from 2001-2002 brings an impressive background that includes a 15-year playing career in the NFL. Morriss attended Sam Houston High School in Arlington and later Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, where he was a three year letterwinner and two-time All-Southwest Conference selection. The Horned Frogs’ team captain, he was selected to play in four all-star games following his senior season (Blue-Gray Game, Senior Bowl, Coaches’ All-America Game and College All-Star Game). Morriss was inducted into the TCU Hall of Fame in 1997.

Morriss was a second-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1973 where he played 11 seasons at center in the city of Brotherly Love. A five-time team captain, he helped the Eagles to four consecutive playoff berths (1978-82) under coach Dick Vermeil, as Philadelphia won the NFC East title in 1979 and 1980. Morriss was the starting center on the Eagles’ 1980 NFC Championship team, quarterbacked by Ron Jaworski, and played in Super Bowl XV.

Morriss then played for New England from 1984 to 1987, helping lead the Patriots to the playoff appearances in 1985 and 1986, playing in Super Bowl XX.

Following his playing days, Morriss began his coaching career as an offensive line coach with the New England Patriots from 1988 to 1989 under head coach and NFL Hall of Fame member Raymond Berry. After spending a season as the offensive coordinator at Mansfield High School in 1991, Morriss was selected as head coach of the Washington Marauders of the Professional Spring Football League in 1997, but the league ceased operations prior to the start of the season.

From 1992 to 1993, he coached the offensive line at Valdosta State University before returning to the NFL in 1994 as a member of Buddy Ryan’s Arizona Cardinals staff. Morriss then spent the 1995 campaign with the Canadian Football League’s San Antonio Texans, where they were second in the CFL in points scored and advanced to the semifinals of the Grey Cup playoffs. He spent the 1996 season as the offensive line coach at Mississippi State before moving on to the University of Kentucky. At Kentucky, he spent four seasons as the assistant head coach and offensive line coach before being promoted to head coach. In Morriss’ two seasons as Kentucky’s head coach, 10 Wildcats earned All-SEC recognition, three were named All-American and 43 garnered academic All-SEC honors.

Morriss was then named the head football coach at Baylor University on December 11, 2002. As the Bears’ head coach, Morriss was instrumental in raising over $10 million towards football projects including a new on-campus practice facility: The Highers Athletic Complex & Simpson Athletics and Academic Center also including the Lee and Elaine Harrington Recruiting Center. His student-athletes were successful on and off the field as 58 student-athletes earned academic all-Big 12 Conference honors and 37 earned all-Big 12 Conference athletic recognition. He also revised and improved the Baylor strength and conditioning, academic support services and disciplinary programs that have been carried on through the remainder of the athletic department.

During the 2008 season, Morriss served as the executive associate head coach for football development and offensive line coach at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Kentucky. At KSU, he had an offensive lineman earn second team all-conference honors as well as another named to the all-academic team. The Thorobreds offensive line averaged 168.8 yards on the ground and another 183.4 yards through the air.

In 2004, when Super Bowl XXXVIII was played at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Morriss was honored by The Dallas Morning News, being named to the newspaper’s All-Texas High School Super Bowl Team.

The Colorado City, Texas native, Morriss earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education from TCU in 1973. This past August, he received his master's in education from Texas A&M University-Commerce as well. He and his wife, Jackie, are the parents of five daughters: Colleen, Melanie, Kerry, Savannah Rae and Austin Leigh. The couple is also the proud grandparents of four grandchildren.

Morriss' Career Coaching Record

Dan Lounsbury is in his third season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at A&M-Commerce. 

In 2009, A&M-Commerce quarterback Adam Farkes under his tutelage earned honorable mention all-conference honors. The Lions offense threw for 2,220 yards for the most since A&M-Commerce threw for a school record 2,892 yards in 2004. 

Lounsbury is in his second stint at Texas A&M-Commerce after serving as a graduate assistant in 1979. After leaving Commerce, he went to coach on the professional level, he has worked with the New York/New Jersey Knights of the World League of American Football, the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League and the Shreveport Knights of the Regional Football League. In addition, on the collegiate level, he has worked at Texas, TCU, Tulsa, Purdue, Cortland State as well as LSC North Division member Southeastern Oklahoma State 

As a position coach, he has worked with multiple parts of the offense, including quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers. 

Lounsbury is reunited with Coach Morriss, where he coached the tight ends and slots at the University of Kentucky from 1999 to 2000. 

A native of Watertown, New York, Lounsbury and his wife have three children: Dan, Tim and Leslie. He earned his bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Arkansas.

Brian Williams is in his third season as the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M-Commerce. 

Last fall, the Williams-guided defense picked up 76 tackles for loss, including 21 sacks; in addition to forcing 27 turnovers - 11 fumble recoveries and 16 interceptions. The Lions defense held opponents to under 100 yards rushing on seven occasions and allowed just 2.5 yards per rush.

A&M-Commerce finished the season, fourth in sacks (3.6 per game), eighth in the nation in rushing defense (83.8 yards per game) and ninth in tackles for loss (8.7 per game). Three Lions (William Green, Anthony DeGrate and Cory Whitfield) ranked in the top 50 in the nation in tackles for loss per game, Whitfield was 10th nationally in tackles per game (11.1), Green and DeGrate were among the top 20.

Four members of the Lions' defense - defensive tackle William Green, inside linebacker Cory Whitfield, defensive back Israel Hughes and safety Alex Contreras - earned first team all-Lone Star Conference North Division honors. Green was named the LSC North Division Defensive Lineman of the Year and Whitfield was named the LSC North Division Linebacker of the Year. 

Williams came to A&M-Commerce after serving as both a linebackers and special teams coach at BCS-level programs including Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and other Division I programs including Akron and Fresno State. 

He has also coached at Alabama State, Kentucky State and Morehead State on the FCS level. He has served as an associate head coach at the University of Akron and the assistant head coach, most recently, at Alabama State. 

In addition, Williams has recruited and developed student-athletes from throughout the nation, including the state of Texas. 

As a senior at the University of Kentucky in 1985, he earned second team all-Southeastern Conference recognition and the team’s Most Valuable Senior Award. He also was a two-time program Outstanding Defensive Lineman of the Year selection.

Coach Jones is in his first season as the linebackers coach for the Lions.

Prior joining the A&M-Commerce coaching staff, Jones played for head coach Guy Morriss at Baylor from 2003-08. During his career with Baylor, he earned numerous awards such as the Bears' MVP Offensive Scout Player of the Year, Defensive MVP of the Baylor Spring Football Game, and Offensive Scout Player of the Week. He has succeeded off the field as well earning awards such as National Dean’s list and joining the National Honor Roll.

Jones earned his degree in Business Media from Baylor University in August of 2008, and he is currently working on his Master’s degree at Texas-A&M University Commerce.    

Fred Pagac is in his first season with A&M-Commerce, serving as the Lions' defensive line coach.

Pagac comes to the Lions after serving as a defensive quality control coach with the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. Previously, he served as a graduate assistant coach at Ohio State after earning four varsity letters with the Buckeyes as a player. Pagac played in 39 games with 10 starts, including playing on the 2002 Ohio State national championship team.

He was signed as a free agent by the St. Louis Rams in 2004 and played with the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe in 2005 before an injury ended his playing career. He is the son of Fred Pagac, a veteran NFL player and coach who is currently the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings.

Mario Price is in his second season as the Lions’ wide receivers coach.

Prior to coming to A&M-Commerce, he served on the coaching staff at Waco High School and G.W. Carver Magnet School in Waco. At Waco High School, he worked with the offense and was involved in scouting opponents for the top ranked team in the state. At. G.W. Carver, he served as the offensive coordinator and head coach where the eighth grade won the championship and seventh grade finished third. In addition for the last three years, Price has also worked the Odell James Football Camp in Waco.  

Prior to entering the coaching ranks, he was a three-year member of the football team at Baylor and spent his freshman year at Army. While with the Bears from 2003-06, he saw extensive action on special teams units and as a running back. Price was named second team academic all-Big 12 as a senior and a two-time selection to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the university’s Dean’s List. As a freshman at Army, in 2002, he played in all 12 games as a defensive back and on special teams units.

Andrew Raiden is in his second season as the tight ends coach for A&M-Commerce.

Raiden returns to the Commerce staff for his second season as the Tight End coach. Prior to this year, Raiden was the assistant quarterbacks coach for A&M–Commerce.  

Prior to his coaching career, he traveled to three different continents with the Air Force in 6 years. Raiden rose to the rank of staff sergeant before coming to A&M-Commerce.

Raiden is an East Texas native coming from Anna High school where he was a multi-sport athlete. He is Graduate of A&M–Commerce with a degree in health education, and is currently pursuing his Masters in Education Administration. 

Justin Valentine is in his second season as an assistant coach for the Lions, taking over the responsibility for the running backs for the 2011 season.

The Columbus, Ohio native enters the coaching ranks after being a four-year starter at the Univeristy of Minnesota from 2003-07. Valentine and  the Gophers payed in four bowl games and was a key blocker for four 1,000-yard rushers including the Dallas Cowboys’ Marion Barber. He also saw extensive action on special teams units and was called upon often in short yardage, scoring 15 career touchdowns. Following college, he spent the 2008 training camp with the New York Jets.

Valentine earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota in communications and is currently working on his master’s degree at A&M-Commerce.

Rod West joins the A&M-Commerce staff as an assistant coach in charge of the defensive backs.