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{{Short description|American football player and coach (1937–1989)}}
{{for|the TV presenter|Joe Morrison (TV presenter)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| image        = Joe morrison giants.jpg
| caption      = Morrison with the New York Giants
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1937|8|21}}
| birth_place  = [[Lima, Ohio]], U.S.
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1989|2|5|1937|8|21}}
| death_place  = [[Columbia, South Carolina]], U.S.
| height_ft    = 6
| height_in    = 1
| weight_lbs   = 210
| high_school  = Lima South
| college      = [[Cincinnati Bearcats football|Cincinnati]]
| position     = [[Running back]]<br>[[Wide receiver]]
| number       = 40
| draftyear    = 1959
| draftround   = 3
| draftpick    = 34
| pfr          = MorrJo01
| pastteams    =
* [[New York Giants]] (1959–1972)
| pastcoaching =
* [[Chattanooga Mocs football|Chattanooga]] (1973–1979)
* [[New Mexico Lobos football|New Mexico]] (1980–1982)
* [[South Carolina Gamecocks football|South Carolina]] (1983–1988)
| highlights   =
* [[New York Giants Ring of Honor]]
* [[New York Giants#Retired numbers|New York Giants No. 40]] retired
* [[Walter Camp Coach of the Year]] (1984)
* Independent Coach of the Year (1987)
| statlabel1   = Rushing yards
| statvalue1   = 2,474
| statlabel2   = Yards per carry
| statvalue2   = 3.7
| statlabel3   = Receiving yards
| statvalue3   = 4,993
| statlabel4   = Receptions
| statvalue4   = 395
| statlabel5   = Total touchdowns
| statvalue5   = 65
}}

'''Joseph R. Morrison''' (August 21, 1937 – February 5, 1989) was an [[American football]] player and coach. He played professionally as a [[running back]] and [[wide receiver]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for the [[New York Giants]] from 1959 to 1972. Morrison served as the head football coach at the [[University of Tennessee at Chattanooga]] from 1973 to 1979, at the [[University of New Mexico]] from 1980 to 1982, and at the [[University of South Carolina]] from 1983 to 1988, compiling a career [[college football]] coach record of 101–72–7.

==Playing career==
Morrison was born in [[Lima, Ohio]]. He attended the [[University of Cincinnati]] where he played both halfback and quarterback and also played on defense during his three varsity seasons. Morrison was drafted by the Giants in the third round of the [[1959 NFL draft]], where he mostly played at the positions of [[running back]] and [[wide receiver]]. He had a long career with the Giants, playing from 1959 to 1972. He is 3rd on the Giants' team record for receptions, with 395 catches, from seven different [[quarterback]]s; over his career his plays gained 4,993 yards. His [[jersey number]] (#40) has been retired by the Giants.

Morrison's best individual season as a receiver came in 1966 when the Giants won only one game. He caught 46 passes for 724 yards and scored six touchdowns. While the Giants fell on hard times, Morrison was one of the bright stars on the team. He also had five seasons of 40 receptions or more between 1964 and 1971.

Because he played many positions as needed for the Giants, he was nicknamed "Old Dependable."

==Coaching career==
Joe Morrison was a head coach at the [[University of Tennessee at Chattanooga]], [[University of New Mexico]], and [[University of South Carolina]]. He is one of the few major college head coaches to never work as an assistant coach.
 
As the head coach at Chattanooga, Morrison turned around a Mocs program coming off four straight losing seasons, pacing them to three straight Southern Conference championships (1977–1979). His record at Chattanooga was 44–29–3 in seven seasons.

Other than his NFL years, he is best remembered as the head coach at South Carolina. Morrison came to USC after three seasons with the Lobos of the [[University of New Mexico]]. He was a hot prospect, having gone 10–1 in 1982. Morrison took the Gamecocks to three postseason games (1984 and 1987 [[Gator Bowl]] and the 1988 [[Liberty Bowl]]) during his tenure.

It was under Morrison in 1983 that South Carolina began the tradition of ''Einleitung'' from [[Also sprach Zarathustra (Strauss)|''Also Sprach Zarathustra'']] (theme from the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey") as its pre-game anthem and entrance song. The idea had actually originated with former quarterback [[Tommy Suggs]], who suggested it to then-coach and athletic director [[Jim Carlen]] in 1981. However, Carlen wanted the [[Mighty Sound of the Southeast|Carolina Band]] to play it rather than have it played over the stadium's sound system. When Carlen left after the season, Suggs took the idea to his successor as athletic director, Bob Marcum. While Marcum liked it, he suggested that they wait to play it until a brand-new sound system could be installed in 1982. The song was finally played for the first time in Morrison's first year, and partly because of his success the song is identified with him.

Morrison's second season, 1984, was until the turn of the century reckoned as the greatest in school history. It was affectionately dubbed the "Black Magic" year by South Carolina fans because of the team's success and because of Morrison's famous all-black attire (cap, shirt, pants). The team ran a streak of nine consecutive wins (longest single season streak in school history) and was ranked #2 in the nation before being upset by [[Navy Midshipmen football|Navy]] and later falling to [[Oklahoma State University]] in the [[Gator Bowl]]. Gaining victories against storied programs such as Georgia, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Florida State, and arch-rival Clemson, the Gamecocks finished that season with a 10–2 record, which would remain a school record for wins until 2011. Morrison was named by the Walter Camp Foundation as the 1984 National College Football Coach of the Year. Morrison would also be named the Independent Coach of the Year in 1987. The 1984 squad also heralded two first-team [[All-America]]n players in James Seawright (linebacker) and [[The Patriot (wrestler)|Del Wilkes]] (offensive lineman), as well as future NFL players [[Sterling Sharpe]] (1984–1987), and [[Brad Edwards (American football)|Brad Edwards]] (1984–1987).

Other notable players coached by Morrison included [[Harold Green (American football)|Harold Green]], who spent several years with the [[Cincinnati Bengals]] in the NFL, current Gamecock football radio broadcaster Todd Ellis, who is the all-time passing leader at South Carolina, and [[Robert Brooks (American football)|Robert Brooks]], who was part of the [[Green Bay Packers]] 1997 Super Bowl Championship team. During this time, [[Charlie Weis]], former head coach of the [[University of Notre Dame]] and the [[University of Kansas]], was an assistant coach under Morrison, his first coaching job in the college ranks. Also serving as an assistant during Morrison's tenure was [[Al Groh]], who went on to be head coach of the [[New York Jets]] and the [[University of Virginia]].

After back-to-back 8–4 season in 1987 and 1988, expectations were high in Columbia for the 1989 campaign. However, it would not come to pass as Morrison collapsed after playing racquetball at a court located inside Williams-Brice Stadium,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/1989/02/07/usc-family-prepares-to-say-goodbye/29509450007/ | title=USC family prepares to say goodbye }}</ref> and died on February 5, 1989, at age 51 from [[congestive heart failure]].

Morrison won his 100th game as a coach in 1988, when South Carolina beat N.C. State 23–7.

==Head coaching record==
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = both }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Chattanooga Mocs football|Chattanooga Moccasins]]
 | conf      = [[NCAA Division II independent schools|NCAA Division II independent]]
 | startyear = 1973
 | endyear   = 1976
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1973 NCAA Division II football season|1973]]
 | name         = [[1973 Chattanooga Moccasins football team|Chattanooga]]
 | overall      = 4–7
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1974 NCAA Division II football season|1974]]
 | name         = [[1974 Chattanooga Moccasins football team|Chattanooga]]
 | overall      = 4–7
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1975 NCAA Division II football season|1975]]
 | name         = [[1975 Chattanooga Moccasins football team|Chattanooga]]
 | overall      = 5–5–1
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1976 NCAA Division II football season|1976]]
 | name         = [[1976 Chattanooga Moccasins football team|Chattanooga]]
 | overall      = 6–4–1
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Chattanooga Mocs football|Chattanooga Moccasins]]
 | conf      = [[Southern Conference]]
 | startyear = 1977
 | endyear   = 1979
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | year         = [[1977 NCAA Division I football season|1977]]
 | name         = [[1977 Chattanooga Moccasins football team|Chattanooga]]
 | overall      = 9–1–1
 | conference   = 4–1
 | confstanding = T–1st
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | year         = [[1978 NCAA Division I-A football season|1978]]
 | name         = [[1978 Chattanooga Moccasins football team|Chattanooga]]
 | overall      = 7–3–1
 | conference   = 4–1
 | confstanding = T–1st
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | year         = [[1979 NCAA Division I-A football season|1979]]
 | name         = [[1979 Chattanooga Moccasins football team|Chattanooga]]
 | overall      = 9–2
 | conference   = 5–1
 | confstanding = 1st
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Chattanooga
 | overall    = 44–29–3
 | confrecord = 13–3
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[New Mexico Lobos football|New Mexico Lobos]]
 | conf      = [[Western Athletic Conference]]
 | startyear = 1980
 | endyear   = 1982
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1980 NCAA Division I-A football season|1980]]
 | name         = [[1980 New Mexico Lobos football team|New Mexico]]
 | overall      = 4–7
 | conference   = 3–4
 | confstanding = 6th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1981 NCAA Division I-A football season|1981]]
 | name         = [[1981 New Mexico Lobos football team|New Mexico]]
 | overall      = 4–7–1
 | conference   = 3–4–1
 | confstanding = 5th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1982 NCAA Division I-A football season|1982]]
 | name         = [[1982 New Mexico Lobos football team|New Mexico]]
 | overall      = 10–1
 | conference   = 6–1
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = New Mexico
 | overall    = 18–15–1
 | confrecord = 12–9–1
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[South Carolina Gamecocks football|South Carolina Gamecocks]]
 | conf      = [[NCAA Division I FBS independent schools|NCAA Division I-A independent]]
 | startyear = 1983
 | endyear   = 1988
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1983 NCAA Division I-A football season|1983]]
 | name         = [[1983 South Carolina Gamecocks football team|South Carolina]]
 | overall      = 5–6
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1984 NCAA Division I-A football season|1984]]
 | name         = [[1984 South Carolina Gamecocks football team|South Carolina]]
 | overall      = 10–2
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = [[1984 Gator Bowl|Gator]]
 | bowloutcome  = L
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 13
 | ranking2     = 11
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1985 NCAA Division I-A football season|1985]]
 | name         = [[1985 South Carolina Gamecocks football team|South Carolina]]
 | overall      = 5–6
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1986 NCAA Division I-A football season|1986]]
 | name         = [[1986 South Carolina Gamecocks football team|South Carolina]]
 | overall      = 3–6–2
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1987 NCAA Division I-A football season|1987]]
 | name         = [[1987 South Carolina Gamecocks football team|South Carolina]]
 | overall      = 8–4
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = [[1987 Gator Bowl|Gator]]
 | bowloutcome  = L
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 15
 | ranking2     = 15
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1988 NCAA Division I-A football season|1988]]
 | name         = [[1988 South Carolina Gamecocks football team|South Carolina]]
 | overall      = 8–4
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = [[1988 Liberty Bowl|Liberty]]
 | bowloutcome  = L
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = 
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = South Carolina
 | overall    = 39–28–2
 | confrecord = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = 101–72–7
 | bowls    = no
 | poll     = no
 | polltype = 
}}

==Legacy==
[[Todd Ellis (American football)|Todd Ellis]], who played quarterback for Morrison, summarized his former coach's legacy at South Carolina: "[[Steve Spurrier|Coach Spurrier]] was an icon before [[South Carolina Gamecocks football under Steve Spurrier|coming here]], but there’s a part of the South Carolina community that takes pride in the fact coach Morrison was successful and did it here first. He made South Carolina stand out for the first time. He provided an edge; he made it cool to play at Carolina."<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 8, 2009 |title=Morrison's legacy looms 20 years after death |url=https://www.thestate.com/news/local/article14339435.html |access-date=September 25, 2024 |website=The State}}</ref>

Morrison's legacy still is in place at the University of South Carolina in various ways:
*  Black jerseys are part of uniform options in football and other sports.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Breiner |first=Ben |date=August 13, 2019 |title=Gamecocks to honor Black Magic era with special throwback uniform |url=https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-football/article233781977.html |access-date=September 30, 2024 |website=The State}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-13 |title=South Carolina Basketball: Gamecocks up for uniform of the year award |url=https://garnetandcocky.com/posts/south-carolina-basketball-gamecocks-uniforms |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Garnet and Cocky |language=en-US}}</ref>
** Morrison began the use of black jerseys as a uniform option and used them as the team's primary home jerseys during the 1987 and 1988 seasons.{{cn|date=September 2024}}
*  The use of ''Einleitung'' from ''[[Also sprach Zarathustra (Strauss)|Also sprach Zarathustra]]'', Op. 30 (theme from ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]'') was a tradition started by Morrison for the football team's pre-game entrance and is still done so today.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-29 |title=Game Day Fixture is Officially the Tommy Suggs 2001 Gamecock Football Entrance |url=https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2024/08/29/game-day-fixture-is-officially-the-tommy-suggs-2001-gamecock-football-entrance/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=University of South Carolina Athletics |language=en-US}}</ref> The theme has been spread to other sports and university functions.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5W0sv2eN7Q |title=2012 South Carolina Baseball Intro |date=2012-02-20 |last=South Carolina Gamecocks |access-date=2025-01-10 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
*  The offensive MVP of the football [[Exhibition game|spring game]] every year is designated the Joe Morrison Offensive Player of the Spring.<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Carolina football spring award winners 2023 |url=https://247sports.com/college/south-carolina/article/south-carolina-gamecocks-football-spring-award-winners-2023-208436772/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=247Sports |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-20 |title=Garnet Blanks Black, 17-0, to Capture Annual Spring Game |url=https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2024/04/20/garnet-blanks-black-17-0-to-capture-annual-spring-game/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=University of South Carolina Athletics |language=en-US}}</ref>
*  The football team's senior defensive MVP every year is awarded the Joe Morrison Award.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-06 |title=Gamecock Football Holds Senior Night Awards Banquet |url=https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2021/12/06/gamecock-football-holds-senior-night-awards-banquet/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=University of South Carolina Athletics |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-05 |title=Gamecock Football Announces Senior Banquet Award Winners |url=https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2022/12/05/gamecock-football-announces-senior-banquet-award-winners/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=University of South Carolina Athletics |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-04 |title=Gamecock Football Announces 2023 Senior Banquet Award Winners |url=https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2023/12/04/gamecock-football-announces-2023-senior-banquet-award-winners/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=University of South Carolina Athletics |language=en-US}}</ref>
*  Todd Ellis, who was recruited by Morrison and played most of his college career under Morrison,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Todd Ellis College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/todd-ellis-1.html |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> has been the "Voice of the Gamecocks" since 2003, serving as the [[Sports commentator|play-by-play announcer]] for South Carolina's football radio coverage.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-07 |title=Gamecock Sports Network |url=https://gamecocksonline.com/gamecock-sports-network-old/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=University of South Carolina Athletics |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2003-05-29 |title=Todd Ellis taking over play-by-play for Gamecock football |url=https://www.wistv.com/story/1298335/todd-ellis-taking-over-play-by-play-for-gamecock-football/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=www.wistv.com |language=en}}</ref>
*  The [[University of South Carolina Sumter|USC Sumter]] athletic teams are known as the "Fire Ants", named after Morrison's 1984 defense.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-07-16 |title=Who's better: 1984 South Carolina or 2013 South Carolina? |url=https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/south-carolina-football/whos-better-south-carolina-2013-1984/ |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=Saturday Down South |language=en-US}}</ref>
*  He still holds the record for highest ranking ever achieved by South Carolina in football: No. 2 in 1984.<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Carolina Gamecocks Poll History |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/south-carolina/polls.html |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Football stats |nfl=joe-morrison |pfr=M/MorrJo01 }}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Morrison, Joe}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:1989 deaths]]
[[Category:American football running backs]]
[[Category:American football wide receivers]]
[[Category:Chattanooga Mocs football coaches]]
[[Category:Cincinnati Bearcats football players]]
[[Category:New Mexico Lobos football coaches]]
[[Category:New York Giants players]]
[[Category:South Carolina Gamecocks football coaches]]
[[Category:NFL players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Lima, Ohio]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from Ohio]]