A Morrill story: Aggie coach poised to make USU history

When Stew Morrill, a Utah native, took the head basketball coaching job at Utah State on Aug. 6, 1998, he said he was very familiar with the tradition of Utah State University basketball and that he could name the Aggie greats as well as any alum.

Wayne Estes ... Marvin Roberts ... Nate Williams ... Cornell Green ... Bob Lauriski ... Shaler Halimon ...

Some 10 years later, Morrill can add several more names to the list.

Spencer Nelson ... Desmond Penigar ... Nate Harris ... Tony Brown ... and Jaycee Carroll, just to mention a few. All were players he coached.

And certainly one more name should be added to the list — his own.

Yes, Stew Morrill.

He'll never say it, but plenty of others will.

"He's breaking a phenomenal record at a great school," said former Utah State coach Rod Tueller, who tallied 139 wins in nine seasons for the Aggies.

Morrill may not think his name should be on the list, but with 225 wins — the same number as legendary USU coach E. Lowell Romney — it definitely belongs there.

"I think it's unbelievable," former Utah State coach Dutch Belnap said of Morrill's career. "I said it earlier, and personally I think he's done the best job of any coach that has ever been there since the beginning. He's a great teacher and a great disciplinarian, and he does it his way and it works."

Morrill, who needs one win to break Romney's career mark, won't talk about the record and has said on more than one occasion that he only will if and when it happens.

"I honestly believe when he's done coaching he'll think a lot about the record," said long-time assistant coach Don Verlin.

Romney went 225-157 (58.9 percent) in 22 seasons (382 games), while Morrill is 225-80 (73.8 percent) in nine-plus seasons (305 games). He is 135-12 in the Smith Spectrum.

"Right now, it's about this team and about the next game coming up," Verlin said, "and it has never been discussed when he's going to break the record or if he's going to break the record."

The record can come as early as Thursday night if the Aggies (12-5, 2-0 WAC) beat Boise State (12-4, 3-1) in Logan. The game tips at 7 p.m.