With North Texas set to face Tulane in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game on Friday, December 5, the biggest storyline surrounding the Mean Green isn’t just their 11–1 record or their explosive offense; it’s the unusual coaching limbo involving head coach Eric Morris.
Why Is Eric Morris Still Coaching North Texas?
Morris has officially accepted the head-coaching job at Oklahoma State, ending his three-year tenure in Denton. Under normal circumstances, that would mean a swift exit: departing coaches almost always leave immediately to begin recruiting, staffing, and roster work at their new program. But this year, Morris plans to stay with North Texas through the end of the season, even if that run extends into the College Football Playoff.
It’s one of the strangest and most impactful coaching dynamics of the entire college football landscape this year.
Despite accepting the Oklahoma State job, Morris made it clear that he wants to finish what he started with the Mean Green. North Texas is having one of the best seasons in school history, and Morris believes stepping away now would compromise both the players and the program he helped build.
However, that commitment comes with complications.
While preparing for the AAC Championship, Morris simultaneously had to manage Signing Day on Wednesday, for Oklahoma State, not North Texas. OSU signed 15 prospects during the early signing period, several of whom were originally Mean Green commits.
It’s an unprecedented juggling act of coaching one team, recruiting for another, and managing two sets of responsibilities that often conflict directly with each other. By all accounts, Morris is handling the situation as well as anyone can. But he’s also been vocal about what he sees as a deeply flawed college football calendar.
Why Morris Staying Matters: North Texas’ Elite Offense
The Mean Green haven’t just been good this season, they’ve been elite. Fielding one of the nation’s most explosive units, North Texas enters championship weekend with:
- 11–1 record
- Offensive PFSN Grade: 84.6 (19th nationally)
- 561 points scored: 1st in the country
- 3.90 points per drive: 1st
- 309 first downs: 2nd
The offense has been the heart of the season, and Morris, known for QB development and innovative spread concepts, is the architect of that success.
QB Drew Mestemaker: A Star Under Morris’ Guidance
Redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker has blossomed into one of the nation’s most productive passers:
- 88.2 grade (16th nationally)
- 70.9% completion rate (9th)
- 3,835 passing yards: leads the nation
- 29 passing TDs: 4th most in the country
For a freshman, those numbers are staggering. For a team chasing a championship, keeping the coach who built that system is invaluable.
The Best Three-Headed Monster in the Country?
Add in North Texas’s dynamic skill players, and the case for Morris finishing the season becomes even clearer:
- 90.2 grade (8th best)
- 110.55 rushing YPG (7th most)
- 23 rushing TDs: most in the nation
WR Wyatt Young
- 90.1 grade (best among WRs)
- 1,203 receiving yards (3rd most)
- 10 TDs (10th)
It’s arguably the top offensive trio in college football, at any level, not just Group of 5. Morris’ scheme and development have elevated each of them into elite performers.
How Does This Affect the AAC Championship vs. Tulane?
In short, Morris’s staying is a massive stabilizing force.
Without him, North Texas would be entering the biggest game in program history with an interim staff and a system that functions only because of the precision, timing, and QB rapport Morris installed.
Instead, the Mean Green go into the AAC Championship with:
- continuity
- their playcaller
- their offensive architect
- the same leadership that carried them to 11 wins
The distraction factor is real, but far less impactful than if Morris had left entirely.
Bottom Line
North Texas’s head-coaching situation is highly unusual, maybe unprecedented in the modern era. But for a team that has a legitimate shot at an AAC title, and maybe even a College Football Playoff berth, keeping Eric Morris for the stretch run may be the difference between a historic season and a derailed one.
His departure for Oklahoma State is already set. But his mission in Denton isn’t finished yet. On Friday, the Mean Green take the field with their head coach still on the sideline, chasing one more championship together.
