Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Exactly three months after leading the Midway Pantherettes to their seventh girls’ basketball state championship, Teri Morrison is leaving the school for one of the most prominent athletic departments in the state.
Morrison said Monday evening that she has taken a post as the girls’ basketball coach and assistant athletic director at Southlake Carroll High School.
Morrison, who guided Midway to a 35-4 record and the Class 4A state championship last season, said she wasn’t trying to leave the school until the opportunity at Southlake Carroll came up.
“I wasn’t looking for a job,” Morrison said. “Midway is one of the greatest places in the world to work — great kids and we had two great years. Professionally, it was a great opportunity.”
Morrison compiled a 70-7 record in two seasons at Midway.
Morrison replaces former Carroll girls’ basketball coach Niki Gilley, who guided the Lady Dragons to a 20-14 record and the second round of the 5A playoffs last season.
While Carroll has a strong tradition in football — the Dragons have won seven state championships, including four in the last six seasons — the girls’ basketball program has fallen well short of that bar.
Carroll lost in the second round of the playoffs in four of the last five seasons and missed the playoffs in 2007, Gilley’s first campaign.
The Lady Dragons won their only girls’ basketball state championship in 1975.
“I always like to come into a place and get some work done,” Morrison said. “They’re returning four starters with three players taller than 6 feet.”
Although Midway graduated perhaps its most celebrated senior class in school history — including NCAA Division I signees DeLisa Gross, Krissica Harper and Cokie Reed — the Pantherettes weren’t left with a total rebuilding project for the 2009-2010 season.
Midway returns starters Makenzie Robertson and Diana Jones and key bench contributer Toi Gober.
Morrison said she told her Midway players about the decision Monday.
“It was a very long day,” Morrison said. “The decision wasn’t come to very lightly. It’s a great group of kids, basically the whole team. They’re going to be a very different team. I think Midway will do an outstanding job of bringing someone in to keep the streak alive.”
Baylor women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey, Robertson’s mother, said her daughter was disappointed, but understanding of the decision.
“Anytime you lose a coach that’s taught you how to win, you’re sad,” Mulkey said about Robertson’s reaction. “But she understands the business of what coaching is and she’s happy for Coach Morrison.”
Harper said she heard the news of Morrison’s departure on the way to graduation practice Thursday.
She said the returning players were somewhat concerned about facing a second coaching change in their high school careers.
“The coaches made a lot of promises about what was going to happen next year,” Harper said. “So when she broke the news, they were kind of sad.”
cconine@wacotrib.com
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Comments
By State Champs!!!
Jun 13, 2009 6:24 PM | Link to this
KISS OUR STATE RINGS!!!!!!
By The Lake
Jun 10, 2009 8:30 AM | Link to this
Chad don't listen to that fool. You do a great job and it's about time the Trib has someone to concentrate on Midway. That excuse about nothing to do in Waco is the stupidess thing I've ever heard. Get up off your fat a_ _ and find something to do. And Linda or Reggie never had a 6'4 player like the Midway coach had this year. Anyone could have coached that team to the state title. And wait a minute on the Midway parents. They might be full of themselves every once in awhile, but at least they care. That's more than I can saw for most of the inner city parents.
By Kyle
Jun 9, 2009 7:57 PM | Link to this
Maybe they should hire chad conine, he spends more time there than at waco trib! Somebody needs to tell him his high school days ended longgggggg ago,that way we can actually read something instead of Midway all the time!!!
By the next big thing
Jun 9, 2009 2:08 PM | Link to this
Midway schools are good, but that alone may not be enough to keep some talented individuals in Waco. At some point, I believe a person's livelihood(too lazy for a spellcheck)may start to weigh on them. I don't know what the coach's case is, but if there is nothing interesting to do in Waco, it may be time to move on. Skills can take a person a long way. There is not much to do here but go get a coffee, go buy tacos, and buy cell phones. Get something interesting here that might prevent all the talented people from leaving.
By Truth
Jun 9, 2009 2:00 PM | Link to this
She got a taste of good ol Midway politics.
I'm not surprised, dealing with diva players like cokie reed and having to put up with the Midway parents is very stressful. Now with all the WISD transfers the coaches don't won't to deal with the attitudes of these "inner city" kids! She's going where the grass is greener, I don't blame her!
By WOW...
Jun 9, 2009 12:28 PM | Link to this
Wow...Linda had better teams than this year was and she couldn't get past the 1st round.
By The Lake
Jun 9, 2009 8:27 AM | Link to this
It's easy to win state championships when the cupboard is full when you get to a place. Now that the cupboard is half empty the coach is leaving. I hope Midway folks remember this when they replace her. Get someone who will give their life to Midway like Reggie and Linda did.
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