HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 22: Head coach Eric Morris of the North Texas Mean Green looks on during the second quarter against the Rice Owls at Rice Stadium on November 22, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kevin M. Cox/Getty Images)
DENTON, Texas - North Texas' Eric Morris has accepted the head coaching position at Oklahoma State, both schools announced Tuesday.
Morris, in his third season at the helm of North Texas, has led the Mean Green to a 10-1 (6-1) record and a three-way tie atop the American Conference.
The Mean Green close the regular season Friday at home against Temple.
North Texas Director of Athletics Jared Mosley said Morris was committed to staying with the team through the end of the season.
What they're saying:
"On behalf of the University of North Texas, I want to express our deep gratitude to Eric for everything he has done for Mean Green Football over the past three seasons," Mosley said. "He took over at one of the most chaotic times in college athletics and brought great success on the field, including two bowl-eligible seasons and the program's first national ranking in over six decades, while our student-athletes excelled in the classroom and in the Denton community."
Morris will replace long-time Cowboys coach Mike Gundy, who was fired in September after the team got off to a 1-2 start to follow up a 3-9 campaign.
Historic season for Mean Green
Dig deeper:
The move comes as the Mean Green seek their first 11-win season Friday afternoon and try to get into the American Conference championship and the 12-team College Football Playoff.
The team is currently ranked 21 in the Associated Press college football poll. The 2025 team is the first to be ranked in the polls since 1959.
Morris has earned notoriety for the season, being named as a George Munger College Coach of the Year semifinalist, one of just five coaches from a G5 program and 24 overall.
Coaching search begins at North Texas
What's next:
Mosley said a national search for the next Mean Green head coach would begin immediately.
"We wish Eric, Maggie, and the entire Morris family nothing but the very best at Oklahoma State," Mosley said.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the University of North Texas and Oklahoma State University.