Morgan Inducted into NAIA Hall of Fame

By Bob Heller
USIP Sports Information Director

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) will induct former University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's basketball coach and current Athletic Director Bob Morgan into the NAIA Basketball Hall of Fame at its Division I Basketball last night in Kansas City, Missouri.

Morgan will be one of two coaches honored at this evening’s banquet, the other being Rick Byrd of Belmont University (Tennessee). Morgan is one of just three men's basketball coaches in the entire 2003-04 class of inductees which includes 11 athletes from all sports, six for meritorious service and two other coaches for a total of 22 inductees.

For Morgan, this will be his fifth Hall of Fame induction. Bob was inducted into the Drexel University Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science Hall of Fame in 1994. In 1997 Morgan was one of the initial inductees into the Philadelphia Small College Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Bob was also named to the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame-Delaware County Chapter in 2002. In addition, Morgan was one of 20 players named to the Drexel University All-Millennium Team in 2000.

Morgan's record during his 31 seasons at the school was 598-250 for a winning percentage of 70.5%. His total wins and winning percentage rank him amongst the top ten winningest coaches in NAIA history. Morgan was named NAIA District Coach of the Year eight times (1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1997). He guided his teams to four NAIA National Tournament berths in the 1990's. Prior to coaching at PCPS/USP Morgan served as an assistant coach to the late Sam Cozen at Drexel University (1962-1968).

As a player at Drexel University from 1957-1961, Morgan averaged 17.8 points per game, the fourth highest in Drexel basketball history. Morgan also ranks tenth on Drexel's all-time free throw percentage list shooting 75.7% from the line in his career, and was a Third Team Small College All-American in 1961. He was drafted by both Detroit and Chicago in the ABA.

As an NAIA administrator Bob served as District 19 Chair for 15 straight years (1977-1992) having been re-elected a total of four times. Bob also served on the Men's Basketball All-America Selection Committee from 1996 to 2001, and the National Tournament Games Committee in 1995 in Nampa, Idaho. He was District Administrator of the year three times in the early 1980's and served as Regional Independent Chairman of both Men's and Women's Basketball from 1993-1997. Bob was also the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Supervisor from 2000-2003.