Chad Allen Morris (born December 4, 1968) is an American football coach. Since January 2026, he has been the offensive coordinator at Clemson, a role he previously held from 2011 to 2014. He was previously the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Texas State University. He served as the head football coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 2015 to 2017 and the University of Arkansas from 2018 to 2019.
Prior to his collegiate coaching career, he was a high school head coach in Texas for 16 seasons compiling a 169âÂÂ38 record (.816 winning overall). Most recently he was the head coach of the Lake Travis High School football team from 2008 to 2009. He coached the team, starring quarterback Garrett Gilbert, to back-to-back 16âÂÂ0, state title seasons.
Morris made the move to college in 2010 when he became the offensive coordinator and associate head coach at the University of Tulsa. He would spend only one season at Tulsa before moving to Clemson University as offensive coordinator.
The 2 years prior to Morris' arrival, Clemson went a combined 15âÂÂ12, including a record of 6âÂÂ7 in 2010. Morris introduced a hurry-up, spread offense that helped Clemson to a 42âÂÂ11 mark over the next four seasons. In December 2011, Morris became tied with Gus Malzahn as the highest paid assistant in college football after Clemson University gave Morris a six-year contract worth $1.3 million annually.
In December 2012, Morris interviewed for the Texas Tech head coaching vacancy, which had been created by the departure of Tommy Tuberville for Cincinnati. However, the job would be filled by Texas A&M offensive coordinator, and Texas Tech alumnus, Kliff Kingsbury.
Morris got his first opportunity to head coach at the collegiate level when he became head coach at the Southern Methodist University on December 1, 2014. Morris' first two classes of recruits at SMU were all from Texas high schools, making SMU the only school in the country with all-Texas recruiting classes during that time. Morris completed his tenure at SMU compiling a 14âÂÂ22 record over 3 seasons. Morris improved his record each year at SMU going 2âÂÂ10 in 2015, 5âÂÂ7 in 2016 and 7âÂÂ5 in 2017.
On December 6, 2017, Morris was hired as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, signing a six-year, $21 million contract. In his first year, Morris led the Razorbacks to a 2âÂÂ10 record, notching the team's first ten-loss season in school history. This included a winless record in SEC play.
After a 2âÂÂ8 start to the 2019 season and a 45âÂÂ19 loss to Group of 5 opponent Western Kentucky, Arkansas dismissed Morris in his second season. All four of his wins as head coach were over Group of Five (Tulsa, Colorado State) or FCS (Eastern Illinois, Portland State) competition. To date, he is the only full-time Razorback coach to have left the school without a conference win. His 4âÂÂ18 record is the worst record for a non-interim coach in Arkansas history.
On December 10, 2019, Gus Malzahn hired Morris to serve as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn. Auburn fired Malzahn following the 2020 season. New head coach Bryan Harsin did not retain Morris, instead hiring Mike Bobo.
On January 5, 2026, Morris returned to Clemson as its offensive coordinator.
Morris went to Edgewood High School in Edgewood, Texas, where he was the quarterback of the Bulldogs. He attended Texas A&M and earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics with a minor in statistics in 1992. Morris did not play football at the collegiate level. He and his wife, Paula, have two children, a daughter, Mackenzie, and son, Chandler, who played football at Oklahoma and TCU before transferring to North Texas following the 2023 season.
<small> * Departed SMU for Arkansas before bowl game </small>