UTEP Miners

Lori Morris joined UTEP as an assistant coach on May 16, 2017, and now also serves as the program's high school recruiting coordinator.

She has helped Kevin Baker compile the most wins (26) by any Miner coach through their first two years in program history, including establishing the school record for victories (17) in a debut season in 2017-18. UTEP has also won a contest at consecutive C-USA tournaments for the first time since a five-year stretch (2010-14).

In 2018-19 UTEP got on track for the stretch run to grab a bid to the C-USA Championships for the second straight year. The 11th-seed Miners overcame a 10-point deficit late in the third quarter to upset sixth-seed Marshall, 64-56, in double overtime (3/13/19). 

UTEP also registered its first road sweep in league play in three years with two wins in three days (at FAU, 70-44, 2/7/19 and at FIU, 60-55, 2/9/19). The 26-point romp at FAU marked the second-biggest margin of victory in a conference road game in program history. UTEP also dispatched North Texas (59-51, 3/7/19) to win on "Senior Day" for the second occasion in as many years. 

Morris helped in the Miners having quite the turnaround in her first year on staff in 2017-18. UTEP more than doubled the team’s overall win total from the previous campaign. The Miners compiled an overall record of 17-14 (7-9 in Conference USA, 9-4 in non-conference play) to surge past the 2016-17 team's overall victory total (8-23) by nine wins while also exceeding the number of league victories (5-13 C-USA).

UTEP, which was picked 11th in the C-USA preseason poll, earned a three-way tie for seventh place in the league and advanced to the quarterfinals in the 2018 Conference USA Championships. The Miners even led top-seed UAB by five late in the third quarter before eventually falling by nine (75-66) to conclude the campaign.

The team finished 7-5 in games decided by five points or less, which are the most such victories in a season in program history. UTEP went 5-8 on the road on the regular season after going 1-9 in hostile territory last year. It was 9-5 at home, including an 80-75 win on “Senior Day” over eventual C-USA Tournament Champion WKU.

Prior to arriving in the Sun City, Morris had most recently spent two seasons as head coach for Southwestern University. She was an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator for two years at Air Force (2013-15), worked with the CSU Fullerton program for a year (2012-13) and spent four seasons at Louisiana (2008-12), three of which as the associate head coach.

Before her time with ULL Morris was the head coach at Southwestern Junior College for one year (2007-08). Morris was also extremely involved with the community, and even opened a basketball player development class for high school players along  with running mini clinics.

Prior to entering the collegiate ranks Morris had an outstanding 20-year run as the head coach of the Montgomery High School girls’ basketball team from 1987-07. She assumed the position after serving as an assistant coach in 1986-87. She developed 18 players who went on to compete at either the junior-college or university level. Morris guided MOS to Metro League Championships in 1990, 1995, 1996 and 1997, Mesa League Championships in 2002 and 2005 and the Southbay Championship in 2007. MHS also secured a pair of runner-up accolades in the California Interscholastic Federation Division. She was voted as a coach of the year on multiple occasions.

Morris was a standout player at San Diego (1980-84), concluding her career ranked second all-time in assists (480). Morris continues to rank second in helpers, while also garnering top-10 placement in the career records for assists per game (4.2/3rd), field goal attempts (1,070/5th), steals (177/5th), steals per game (1.55/9th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.46/9th). She paced the Toreros in assists all four years, including 162 in 1981-81 (third in USD single season) and 129 in 1983-84 (fifth in USD single season).

She received her bachelor’s degree in language arts from San Diego in 1984 and earned her master’s degree in education with an emphasis in administration from Azusa Pacific in 1990.