As basketball season is kicking off, head coach Jeff Morgan already has his hands full. But Morgan said would not have it any other way. Morgan was named the new athletic director Nov. 10 to replace Greg Harnden, who is retiring after, 21 years as athletic director 31 years at Harding.<\/p>\n
Morgan is no stranger to multitasking. He has been the compliance coordinator for 12 years, and is in his 25th season of coaching at Harding.<\/p>\n
One key phrase that Morgan uses when talking about this career role and the basketball team on the court is, \u201cit\u2019s all about the process.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to the process of seeing each day if we are growing in a positive direction regardless to the circumstances,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cThat\u2019s a daily process. We need to ask, \u2018what can we do today to be a better teammate and a better player?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Senior guard Reggie Anthony has played under Morgan for several years throughout his college career.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been a father figure; he\u2019s shown me what a man is supposed to be like,\u201d Anthony said. \u201cHe\u2019s definitely been a role model. He will be a great athletic director because he really does care about the athletes. He will always have an open door.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe process\u201d is Morgan\u2019s favorite aspect of coaching and athletics, but it extends well after these athletes leave Harding. Where athletes end up and what they are doing post graduation is just as meaningful to Morgan.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most rewarding aspect about coaching is getting to see them (the athletes) even after they\u2019ve left Harding \u00be seeing what they are up to now,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cTo see them being successful in their jobs, in coaching or in their communities and churches, that\u2019s one thing about coaching that is so fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
The athletic director is an authority figure that represents the university as a whole and both Harnden in his time here and Morgan have been highly respected. Their years of experience speak for themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarnden has been a great friend and a great mentor to so many of us coaches just being there during the hard times and celebrating the good times,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cHe\u2019s been a great person to go to and being able to bounce ideas off of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harnden simultaneously coached and fulfilled the athletic department position for eight years. Harnden and Morgan coached together as the head women\u2019s and head men\u2019s coach, respectively.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve always been really close, he is like a son or a younger brother to me,\u201d Harnden said. \u201cWe got to coach together and also have just stayed (close) all these years. The main similarity between being the athletic director and coaching you know what your fellow coaches are going through. That\u2019s huge, because it makes you sympathetic.\u201d<\/p>\n
The transition will be made smoothly and at the end of the day, we will not notice a change in how things run here, according to Harnden. Harding has always had similar values and the athletic department looks to continually uphold those.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoach Morgan knows our mission, and he really excels at treating people right,\u201d Harnden said. \u201cHe excels at communication, and will bring things to the table that I could never do. He\u2019s the kind of person who is going to take something that is already great and make it even better.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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