The North Texas Mean Green are in the midst of their most successful season ever, sporting a 10-1 record with a realistic shot at the College Football Playoff.
However, North Texas will lose its head coach
in the process. Eric Morris is expected to accept the head coaching vacancy at Oklahoma State, as first reported by On3’s Brett McMurphy Tuesday afternoon.
Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the expectation is for Morris to coach the remainder of North Texas’ games, which include a Saturday contest vs. Temple, an American Conference Championship Game should North Texas defeat Temple, and the resulting bowl game — which could be a College Football Playoff appearance with a win in the American Championship.
Morris spent three years at North Texas, compiling a 21-15 record at the time of the report. Morris finished 5-7 in his debut season and 6-7 in his second year headlined by a First Responder Bowl loss to Texas State. In year three, he led a drastic turnaround to 10-1 heading into the regular season finale. North Texas is currently No. 21 in the AP Poll, and earlier this month, the program snapped the longest drought among active FBS programs, by earning its first AP ranking since 1959.
Under Morris, North Texas ranks No. 1 in the FBS in scoring offense and No. 1 in total offense at 46.3 points and 503 yards per game, respectively. The Mean Green finished third in total offense in 2024 and sixth in 2023 in Morris’ other two years at the helm, remaining lethal on that side of the ball throughout his tenure — despite starting three different quarterbacks.
In Denton, Morris developed a slew of star young talent. His former walk-on redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker currently ranks first in the FBS with 3,469 passing yards, delivering 26 touchdowns to four interceptions on a 70.1 completion rate. His true freshman running back Caleb Hawkins is tied for first in the FBS in rushing touchdowns while enjoying a 1,000-yard season. And his top wide receiver Wyatt Young just set the 2025 FBS record for single-game receiving yards, currently checking in fourth nationally with 1,076 on the year.
North Texas was weighed down by poor defensive play in the first two years of the Morris era, but North Texas exponentially improved in 2025 under first-year coordinator Skyler Cassity, ranking fifth nationally in turnovers collected and wielding one of the lowest missed tackle rates in the country.
Putting it all together, North Texas is in prime position for a CFP appearance under Morris, although the Mean Green have yet to appear in the CFP rankings this season. He could become the first lame duck head coach, after accepting another job, to lead his former school in the postseason since Scott Frost at UCF in 2017 — who coached the Knights to a Peach Bowl victory after taking the head coaching gig at Nebraska.
Morris will be the first new head coach to onboard at Oklahoma State since Mike Gundy was promoted from offensive coordinator prior to the 2005 season. Gundy spent 21 seasons in Stillwater, producing 18-straight winning seasons from 2006-23, winning two New Year’s Six bowls (2011, 2021), claiming one Big 12 championship (2011), qualifying for Big 12 Championship Games in 2021 and 2023, and finishing ranked 10 times, peaking at No. 3 in 2011.
Gundy was dismissed in late September following a home loss to Tulsa, and Oklahoma State has not won since. The Cowboys are currently 1-10, suffering back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 2000 and 2001. Oklahoma State rides a 17-game Big 12 losing streak and a 19-game skid vs. FBS opponents, as it prepares for its season finale vs. Iowa State under interim Doug Meacham.
Morris will lead the rebuild in Stillwater, hoping to navigate Oklahoma State back into winning territory, just as he did at North Texas. No statement has yet been issued from North Texas or Oklahoma State regarding Morris’ move.
