Utah State basketball: USU's Stew Morrill gets milestone victory

MOSCOW, Idaho — Leading up to the game Utah State basketball coach Stew Morrill wanted nothing to do with discussing his career coaching legacy.

After beating Idaho 60-48 Saturday night in the Kibbie Dome, however, Morrill reluctantly spoke on the milestone achievement of becoming only the 19th active coach with 500 Division I coaching victories.

"I don't know what you say," Morrill said after a lengthy pause while fumbling for words. "I think in coaching you worry about the next one and not try to get No. 500."

And in a profession where coaches are hired to be fired eventually, Morrill counts himself lucky to still be doing what he loves.

"I've been really fortunate," he said. "Coaching is a temp spot until they discard you. I've been a temp employee for a long time."

Long enough to join the likes of Mike Krzyzewski, Rick Pitino, Roy Williams and Jim Boeheim.

Idaho basketball coach Don Verlin was on the sideline for approximately 300 of Morrill's coaching victories, having spent 15 years as an assistant coach.

He would have preferred to miss No. 500 — especially because this time it came at his expense.

"It's unbelievable," Verlin said. "They run a god, solid consistent program with good kids who play the right way … the man knows what he's doing."

And that is winning — a lot.

With the Aggies shutting Idaho down in the second half — the Vandals made only four shots and scored just 18 points after halftime — Utah State improved to 15-6 overall and is now 5-2 in Western Athletic Conference play.

"It's special," USU forward and team leader Tai Wesley said. "It's very special and it's a great feat for any coach."

If there was one downside to the win, it was that it occurred away from the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum where Morrill has enjoyed so much success over the past decade.

"It would have been nice to be at home," Wesley said, "but we'll take it."

Utah State threatened to blow the game open in the first half and led by as many as 10 points with 9:37 left before the break. Verlin, a longtime Morrill assistant who employs a nearly identical scheme, made some adjustments and the Vandals started hitting shots and making stops.