CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Dr. G. Anthony Grant, Director of Athletics and DAPER Department Head, has officially announced the hiring of Chris Morris as Head Baseball Coach/Physical Education and Wellness Instructor at MIT.
"I am very excited to welcome Chris back to MIT to be our new head baseball coach," said Dr. G. Anthony Grant, Director of Athletics and DAPER Department Head.
"As a former Division III student-athlete and current head coach, Chris brings a proven track record of success to MIT. His teams have consistently advanced to the NCAA Tournament, demonstrating his ability to lead and achieve excellence. Additionally, Chris's experience as a former assistant coach at MIT during the program's peak success, uniquely positions him to continue building on the strong culture established by Coach Barlow."
A former assistant coach for the Engineers, Morris joins MIT following a successful run as the head coach of his alma mater Husson University in Bangor, Maine. Morris joined Husson in August 2019 and put together a 125-79 (.613) overall record, leading the Eagles to five consecutive North Atlantic Conference championships and five-straight NCAA championship regional appearances. At Husson, Morris was also the Director of Facilities and Event Management.
"I am humbled and honored to become the next head coach at MIT. I would like to thank Dr. Grant as well as the search committee for entrusting me with the MIT baseball program," said Morris. "MIT is a very special place for my family, and we are so excited to be a part of the Engineer family again. Special thank you to my family, my wife Kathleen and children, Max, Benny and Elsie. Thank you all so much for all your love and support!"
Morris was previously an assistant for three seasons at MIT, working closely with head coach Andy Barlow from 2015-2018 on nationwide recruiting efforts and coaching both Austin Filiere '17 and David Hesslink '17, who were each selected in the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft. With Morris on the staff, MIT advanced to the NEWMAC Championship round in 2017 and won the ECAC Division III title in 2016. Morris departed MIT in August 2018 to serve as recruiting coordinator and pitching coach at Brandeis University, directing the pitching staff and focusing on nationwide recruiting for the Judges.
After one year at Brandeis, he returned to Husson to lead the program where he was a four-year letter-winner and team captain. Morris also lettered twice in football at Husson, graduating in 2010 with a B.S. in Sports Management before going on to earn a second bachelor's from Husson in 2012 in Physical Education and an M.Ed. in Athletic Administration from Endicott College in 2014. Morris also spent two years as an assistant baseball and football coach at Husson prior to joining the MIT staff, during his first stint with the baseball team at Husson he was in charge of pitcher development and strength and conditioning work.
Overall, Morris has 14 years of coaching experience, including 12 years at the collegiate level. He got his start in coaching with an American Legion team in Brewer, Maine from 2009-12, winning back-to-back Zone 1 Championships in 2010 and 2011. In addition to his time at MIT, Brandeis and Husson, from 2016-2018, he was the head coach of the Sanford Mainers of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), winning the NECBL Northern Division Title and the Joel Cooney Manager of the Year Award in 2016.