Don Morton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Don Morton (born April 10, 1947) was the head football coach of the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1987 to 1989. At Wisconsin he compiled a 6-27 (.182) record. He was also the head football coach of the University of Tulsa from 1985 to 1986. At Tulsa, he compiled a 13-9 (.590) record. He is also a former head coach of North Dakota State University.

A native of Flint, Michigan, Morton played center at Augustana College (Illinois) in the late 1960s and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 1969. He later earned a Master of Arts degree in Education and Administration from Western Illinois University in 1974.

Morton began his professional career in 1969 as assistant football and head wrestling coach at Moline High School in Illinois, and served there through 1971. His successes at Moline High earned him his first collegiate position as offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at Augustana College (South Dakota) from 1971-77. He then moved on to North Dakota State University as offensive backfield coach from 1977-79, and was named head coach at NDSU in 1979.

Nearing the end of his failed stint at Wisconsin, Morton, on his coaches' show, infamously emerged out of a coffin to declare that he wasn't dead yet.[1]

A few years after his tenure as head football coach at Wisconsin, Morton returned to North Dakota State as the Assistant to the President and Director of University Relations. He later joined Great Plains software as Chief of Staff for CEO Doug Burgum. Morton became an employee of Microsoft Corporation through the acquisition of Great Plains in 2001. Morton is the site leader for the Microsoft campus in Fargo, North Dakota.

[edit] Head coaching record

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl	Coaches#	AP°
North Dakota State (North Central Conference) (1979 – 1984)
1979	North Dakota State	6-4	4-2	T-2nd
1980	North Dakota State	6-4	5-2	T-2nd
1981	North Dakota State	10-3	7-0	1st	L Palm Bowl
1982	North Dakota State	12-1	7-0	1st
1983	North Dakota State	12-1	8-1	T-1st	W Palm Bowl
1984	North Dakota State	11-2	8-1	T-1st	L Palm Bowl
North Dakota State:		57-15	39-6
Tulsa (Missouri Valley Conference) (1985 – 1986)
1985	Tulsa	6-5	3-0	1st
1986	Tulsa	7-4
Tulsa:		13-9	3-0
Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten Conference) (1987 – 1989)
1987	Wisconsin	3-8	1-7	10th
1988	Wisconsin	1-10	1-7	10th
1989	Wisconsin	2-9	1-7	9th
Wisconsin:		6-27	3-21
Total:		76-51 (.598)
National Championship         Conference Title         Conference Division Title
†Indicates BCS bowl game. #Rankings from final Coaches Poll of the season.

Preceded by Jim Wacker	North Dakota State Head Football Coach 1979–1984	Succeeded by Earl Solomonson
Preceded by John Cooper	Tulsa Head Football Coach 1985–1986	Succeeded by George Henshaw
Preceded by Jim Hilles	Wisconsin Head Football Coach 1987–1989	Succeeded by Barry Alvarez

v • d • e North Dakota State University Bison Head Football Coaches Bolley • Harrison • Cochems • Marshall • Dobie • Magoffin • Reuber • Wood • Davis • Borleske • Cutting • Cortright • Rockwell • Finnigan • Kostka • Lowe • Bliss • Wenskunas • Anderson • Luymes • Danielson • Mudra • Erhardt • Kjelbertson • Wacker • Morton • Solomonson • Hager • Babich • Bohl

v • d • e Tulsa Golden Hurricane Head Football Coaches Leards • Taylor • McBirney • Allen • Evans • Medford • Smith • Schmidt • Acher • Henderson • Hurt • Benefiel • Frnka • Brothers • Witucki • B Dobbs • G Dobbs • Carillot • Gibson • Dry • Cooper • Morton • Henshaw • Rader • Burns • Kragthorpe • Graham

v • d • e Wisconsin Badgers Head Football Coaches Kletsch • Mestre • Alward • Crawford • Davis • Stickney • King • Curtis • Hutchins • Barry • Richards • Juneau • Withington • Lowman • Ryan • Little • Thistlethwaite • Spears • Stuhldreher • Williamson • Bruhn • Coatta • Jardine • McClain • Hilles • Morton • Alvarez • Bielema