Jim Morrison (coach)
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 5, 1898 Sioux City, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | July 13, 1951 (aged 52) Wayne, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1920–1921 | Iowa State |
| Baseball | |
| c. 1920 | Iowa State |
| Positions | Guard (football) Outfielder, pitcher (baseball) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1922–1923 | Cresco HS (IA) |
| 1924 | Bismarck HS (ND) |
| 1925–1935 | Valley City State |
| 1936 | Northern Normal (assistant) |
| 1938–1945 | Wayne State (NE) |
| Basketball | |
| 1925–1936 | Valley City State |
| 1938–1942 | Wayne State (NE) |
| 1945–1946 | Wayne State (NE) |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1925–1936 | Valley City State |
| 1938–1946 | Wayne State (NE) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 2 IAC (1926–1927) 1 NIAA (1938) | |
James H. Morrison (October 5, 1898 – July 13, 1951) was an American sports coach, athletic director, and educator who served as the head football, basketball, and track and field coach at Valley City State Teachers College—now known as Valley City State University—from 1925 to 1936. One of the most successful early figures in the history of Viking athletics, Morrison coached three sports and led his programs to a combined 15 conference championships.[1]
During his tenure, Morrison's football teams secured three consecutive North Dakota College Athletic Conference (NDCAC) championships from 1926 through 1928, establishing VCSU as a regional power in the upper Midwest. He also coached the basketball and track and field teams, winning six conference titles in each sport and setting foundational standards for the university’s athletic success.
Early life and playing career
Morrison was born on October 5, 1898 in Sioux City, Iowa.[2] He attended high school in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where played football as a center. Morrison then moved on to Iowa State College—now known as Iowa State University—where played as a guard on the Iowa State Cyclones football team, lettering in 1920 and 1921.[3][4] He graduated from Iowa State in 1922.[2]
Coaching career
Morrison began his coaching and teaching career in 1922, at the high school in Cresco, Iowa.[5] Two years later, he moved to Bismarck High School in Bismarck, North Dakota, to serve as athletic instructor, coach, and physics teacher.[6][7]
Morrison arrived at Valley City State in 1925 and quickly became the defining coaching figure of the decade. His football teams relied on defensive discipline and a tough running game, characteristics that helped produce three straight NDCAC titles from 1926 to 1928. Beyond football, Morrison's basketball teams won six NDCAC championships (1925–26, 1926–27, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1933–34, 1934–35). His track and field teams also earned six conference titles (1928, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935), making him one of the winningest multi-sport coaches in school history.[1]
In 1938, Morrison was appointed director of athletics and physical educational at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska.[8]
Late life and death
Morrison died on July 13, 1951, in Wayne, Nebraska, after suffering from a stroke.[2]
Head coaching record
College football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley City State Vikings (Interstate Athletic Conference) (1925–1931) | |||||||||
| 1925 | Valley City State | ||||||||
| 1926 | Valley City State | 1st | |||||||
| 1927 | Valley City State | 1st | |||||||
| 1928 | Valley City State | 5–2 | 5–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1929 | Valley City State | ||||||||
| 1930 | Valley City State | 3–3 | 3–2 | T–4th | |||||
| 1931 | Valley City State | 0–7–1 | 0–4–1 | ||||||
| Valley City State Vikings (North Dakota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1932–1936) | |||||||||
| 1932 | Valley City State | 1–5 | 1–5 | 7th | |||||
| 1933 | Valley City State | 1–5 | 1–5 | 6th | |||||
| 1934 | Valley City State | 2–2–1 | 2–2–1 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1935 | Valley City State | 4–2–1 | 3–2–1 | 3rd | |||||
| Valley City State: | |||||||||
| Wayne State Wildcats (Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1938–1942) | |||||||||
| 1938 | Wayne State | 3–5–1 | 2–0–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1939 | Wayne State | 3–5–1 | 1–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1940 | Wayne State | 4–5–1 | 0–2–1 | 4th | |||||
| 1941 | Wayne State | 4–2–2 | 1–1–1 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1942 | Wayne State | 4–1–2 | 0–1–1 | 4th | |||||
| Wayne State Wildcats (Independent) (1943–1945) | |||||||||
| 1943 | No team—World War II | ||||||||
| 1944 | No team—World War II | ||||||||
| 1945 | Wayne State | 6–1–1 | |||||||
| Wayne State: | 24–19–8 | 4–6–4 | |||||||
| Total: | |||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
- ^ a b "James Morrison – Viking Hall of Fame". Valley City State University Foundation. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
- ^ a b c "J. H. Morrison, Wayne Hotel Man, Succumbs at 52". Sioux City Journal. Sioux City, Iowa. July 14, 1951. p. 1. Retrieved December 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Council Bluffs Boy Guard On Ames Team". The Omaha Daily News. Omaha, Nebraska. November 18, 1921. p. 21. Retrieved December 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "2025 Iowa State Football Media Guide" (PDF). Iowa State Cyclones. p. 17. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
- ^ "Social News". The Daily Nonpareil. Council Bluffs, Iowa. September 14, 1922. p. 8. Retrieved December 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Iowa Athletes Selected To Coach Bismarck High School". Grand Forks Herald. Grand Forks, North Dakota. June 1, 1924. p. 8. Retrieved December 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Morrison To Dakota". The Daily Nonpareil. Council Bluffs, Iowa. June 15, 1924. p. 16. Retrieved December 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "S.T.C. Elects Jim Morrison Dir. of Athletics & Physical Education". Wayne News. Wayne, Nebraska. July 26, 1938. p. 16. Retrieved December 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Wayne State Wildcats Football 2025 Media Guide" (PDF). Wayne State College. pp. 80–81. Retrieved December 2, 2025.