James L. D. Morrison was an American football player and coach. He served as the first part-time head coach at the University of Notre Dame and

Hillsdale College Hillsdale College is a Private university, private Conservatism in the United States, conservative Christian liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan. It was founded in 1844 by Abolitionism, abolitionists known as Free Will Baptists. Its missio ...

in 1894. Notre Dame took a significant step toward respectability, prominence, and stability when they hired a part-time coach, bearded James L. Morrison. He wrote an acquaintance after his first day on the job: "I arrived here otre Damethis morning and found about as green a set of football players that ever donned a uniform…They want to smoke, and when I told them that they would have to run and get up some wind, they thought I was rubbing it in on them. "One big, strong cuss remarked that it was too much like work. Well, maybe you think I didn't give him hell! I bet you a hundred no one ever makes a remark like that again." ... Morrison had been hired for $40 plus expenses for two weeks. Morrison had played

tackle Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football ** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking ...

at the University of Michigan. He stressed conditioning, speed, and an abundance of end runs and convinced his players that conditioning and speed would lead them to victory. Such tactics led to an opening 14–0 win over Hillsdale. Next came

Albion Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...

, fresh from a 26–12 loss to Michigan, who proved to be tough. The game ended in a 6–6 tie when substitute fullback John Studebaker fell on a fumble for the only Fighting Irish touchdown. At the conclusion of the two-week contract Morrison left campus to take the head coaching job at

. His Irish charges finished the year 3–1–1, losing only to Albion in the season finale. At Hillsdale, Morrison spent just one week. His Hillsdale team was shut out 12–0 on the road at Albion. In the spring of 1895, Morrison received his law degree from the University of Michigan. In 1896 he was the head football coach at Illinois College in

Jacksonville, Illinois Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,446 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County. It is home to Illinois College, Illinois School for the Deaf, and the ...

Head coaching record

References

Additional sources

* "Fighting Irish: Legends, Lists, and Lore" by Karen Croake Heisler * ''The Fighting Irish Football Encyclopedia'' by Michael R. Steele * "Olivet vs. Hillsdale" ''Hillsdale Herald'', October 25, 1894 * ''Notre Dame Scholastic'', October 20, 1894 * ''Notre Dame Scholastic'', October 27, 1894 *
Notre Dame Scholastic
', November 3, 1894 Year of birth missing Year of death missing 19th-century players of American football American football tackles Illinois College Blueboys football coaches Hillsdale Chargers football coaches Knox Prairie Fire football coaches Michigan Wolverines football players Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coaches People from Christian County, Illinois Players of American football from Illinois {{1890s-collegefootball-coach-stub