238 MEN’S BASKETBALL RUNS in the FAMILY Father and son duo Jeff and Davis Morgan take to the court as coach and player. Head men’s basketball coach Jeff Morgan always viewed his players as sons, and coached them accordingly. When sophomore Davis Morgan, Jeff Morgan’s son, joined the team in fall 2019, a new level of coaching emerged. Davis Morgan said his childhood experiences wih his father were the main reason for his love of basketball. “My dad has always been greatly involved,” Davis Morgan said. “He’s been coaching ever since I’ve been alive. Going to Harding games with him growing up really made me want to play.” Jeff Morgan affirmed this, explaining that his son made overnight trips with him to conferences and games from a very young age. “Growing up with me as his dad meant that he was at a lot of practices, at a lot of team meals, getting to hang out with a lot of guys in the team,” Jeff Morgan said. “He’s grown up getting to watch me play. I mean, the list could go on and on of the number of players he’s gotten to watch and shoot around in the gym with.” When he joined the team, Davis Morgan had the opportunity to live the life of the older athletes. He made his collegiate debut in the 2019-20 basketball season with an average of 8.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He was a talented 3-point shooter and had two 20-point games that season, making him a key player on the team. With his reputation and talent, it could have been easy to develop an ego, but Davis Morgan said his identity as “the coach’s son” was never problematic. “He is such a selfless and coachable player,” assistant coach Ray Woods said. “Davis is so low-maintenance of a kid and of a player that I don’t even think about the fact that he’s Coach Morgan’s son.” When asked about their dynamic during practice, the Morgans laughed and retold the same story of Davis’s first locker roommeeting. “Whenever I first got here, he brought us all in the locker room and said, ‘All right, I’m just going address the elephant in the room: That’s my son, and I’m not going to treat him in any special way,’” Davis Morgan said. The meeting sparked an open conversation that affirmed Davis Morgan’s validity and skill and the team’s anticipation of getting to play with him. Jeff Morgan expressed hopes for the 2020-21 season. “I hope that Davis being in the room will make me a better father figure for you guys, and I hope that you guys being in the room will make me a better coach for Davis,” Jeff Morgan said. Team captain senior Romio Harvey said the fatherly example served as a model to the team of young men. “Seeing how Davis and Coach Morgan worked together in their relationship inspires me to be a good dad someday,” Harvey said. story by Zach Bishop Like father like son... Sophomore Davis Morgan and his father Jeff Morgan stand in the Rhodes-Reaves Field House. Davis Morgan grew up watching his father coach and played on his team in the 2019-20 season. | photo by Madison Meyer
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