Culture change key factor in football turnaround

It was 12:15 in the morning, but SMU head coach Chad Morris was bursting with energy. His Mustangs had just knocked off Tulsa 38-34 to earn their sixth win of the season. For the first time since 2012, the Mustangs were going bowling.

“I’m actually numb right now,” Morris said.

For Morris, it was a night that was three years in the making. He’d taken the helm in University Park in 2014, following a 1-11 season that saw the Mustangs finish among the worst teams in the nation. In the season before Morris’ arrival, SMU was last in points per game and second to last in points allowed per game. From the moment he arrived on campus, Morris worked to change the culture of the team—to create a…