Chad Weiberg Explains Why Eric Morris Was ‘Perfect Fit’ for Oklahoma State

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Before Eric Morris coaches his first game at Oklahoma State, athletic director Chad Weiberg is already seeing signs of renewed excitement around the Cowboys.

Oklahoma State opens the Morris era Saturday at Tulsa following one of the most dramatic roster transformations in college football. But for Weiberg, the optimism surrounding the program starts with the coach he selected to lead the rebuild.

“He’s been successful everywhere that he’s been,” Weiberg told News 9 in Tulsa. “Everywhere that he’s coached, he’s won at those places, places that, admittedly, don’t have the most resources or haven’t had the tradition of winning.”

That track record became particularly important as Weiberg searched for someone capable of rebuilding an Oklahoma State program coming off consecutive difficult seasons.

Morris arrived in Stillwater after leading North Texas to a breakout season and previously helping turn around Incarnate Word. His reputation for developing quarterbacks and producing explosive offenses made him an intriguing candidate, but Weiberg said Morris' ability to find solutions stood out during the hiring process.

“I think that was what was one of the things that attracted me to him is that he clearly can figure out how to solve problems,” Weiberg said. “That is something that when you’re leading a program or leading an organization, that’s one of the main things that you do.”

Morris immediately faced one of the largest rebuilding projects in the sport. Oklahoma State brought in 92 new players, a number Weiberg called a college football record as of now. Rather than simply assembling the roster, however, Weiberg believes Morris and his staff have successfully begun integrating the newcomers with the Cowboys who remained in Stillwater.

The overhaul has also brought renewed enthusiasm from a fan base that continued supporting the program during its recent struggles. Oklahoma State has already sold out its highly anticipated home matchup against Oregon as well as its homecoming game. Weiberg expects that support to travel Saturday, predicting plenty of orange inside Tulsa's H.A. Chapman Stadium.

“I don’t know that I’ve been this excited about a season starting in a long time,” Weiberg said.

Part of that excitement comes from seeing whether Morris can restore an offensive identity Weiberg believes has long been associated with Oklahoma State.

“Our identity at Oklahoma State has been to score, and to score a lot of points,” Weiberg said. “I think that’s what we are anticipating that we’ll do with this new offense.”

Quarterback Drew Mestemaker will be tasked with directing it after following Morris from North Texas. Weiberg isn't interested in adding to the growing expectations surrounding the quarterback, but believes Mestemaker's familiarity with Morris' system provides Oklahoma State an important head start.

“They have a great understanding of the offense, so I think there will be a comfort level there that you wouldn’t otherwise have with a new player,” Weiberg said.

Now comes the part Oklahoma State has been waiting for. After an offseason dominated by a coaching change, unprecedented roster turnover and renewed optimism, Weiberg can finally evaluate the rebuild on a football field.

“I think we’re going to learn a lot about our team this weekend on Saturday,” Weiberg said.

For the athletic director who hired Morris to solve Oklahoma State's problems, Saturday provides the first evidence of just how quickly those solutions are taking hold.

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