WAC Basketball: Top 10 head coaches of the century (2000-20)

By Joey Loose | Jul 16, 2020

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 21: Ivan Aurrecoechea #15 of the New Mexico State Aggies reacts during the second half against the Auburn Tigers in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 21, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

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SAN DIEGO, CA – FEBRUARY 18: Coach Stew Morrill of the Utah State Aggies (Photo by Kent C. Horner/Getty Images) /

2. Stew Morrill – Utah State (2005-2013)

Long before he took over at Utah State, Morrill had already made quite an impact for mid-major basketball on the West Coach. He had played and assisted Gonzaga before eventually getting his first head coaching shot at Montana, leading the Grizzlies to the NCAA Tournament in 1991. Seven years followed at Colorado State before Morrill landed at Utah State in 1998, though they didn’t join the WAC until 2005.

Morrill did fantastic work with the Aggies during those eight years in the WAC. Utah State won four straight regular-season titles and also appeared in four total NCAA Tournaments. Utah State additionally made three other postseason appearances, won at least 21 games in all eight of his seasons, and never finished lower than fourth in the WAC.

Utah State moved to the Mountain West in 2013 and Morrill retired two years later. His 199-75 record with Utah State was phenomenal, and he’s responsible for an amazing growth with the program across his tenure. During those few seasons, Utah State was the dominant team in the WAC. Perhaps the next run of dominance is coming soon, though Morrill’s impact and legacy will always be remembered.