Eric Morris Set To Lead The Charge In Improving The Cowboys

OSU is looking for major improvements with a new coach at the helm.

New Head Coach Eric Morris at the first practice of spring football at Oklahoma State University (OSU) in Stillwater, Monday, March 9, 2026. | DOUG HOKE/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma State is hoping Eric Morris can demonstrate success for a second year in a row. 

Before coming to Stillwater this offseason, Morris led North Texas to one of its most successful seasons ever. The Mean Green finished the year 12-2 and was one of the most dominant offenses in college football. 

They averaged the most points per game and the most yards per game in the nation, led by key players Drew Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins and Wyatt Young, who also have made their way to Stillwater this offseason. 

The Pokes, on the other hand, had about the exact opposite of a season. OSU finished the season 1-11 and went winless in Big 12 play for the second straight season. Oklahoma State had nowhere near the same amount of firepower as the Mean Green, only averaging 13 points per game. 

The defensive side of the ball wasn’t much better for the Pokes, as they allowed 35.7 points per game, ranking them No. 127 in the nation. 

This is concerning, but the Cowboys' new hire in Morris is expected to lead OSU to greener pastures. 

In a recent article from ESPN’s Bill Connelly, he broke down SP+ rankings of college football coaches to see what first year coach would improve their new squad the best. Luckily for the Cowboys, they and Morris rank No. 1. 

Now, Connelly explained that because Oklahoma State’s SP+ was horrendously low last year, any change would make for a big shift. But, this doesn’t mean credit isn’t due to Morris. 

The same article showcased that Eric Morris had the No. 4 coach rating in the nation at 20.3. This put him above big-name coaches like Ryan Day, Lane Kiffin and more. This is exciting news for the Cowboys, as Morris will have his key players from last year’s UNT squad to continue this trend with, along with other key pickups in the portal. 

Under Morris, the Cowboys are searching for that first Big 12 win since 2023, but they’re also looking towards bigger and better things. The Pokes were in the Big 12 Championship just three seasons ago, and are looking to regain that reputation once again. 

While this might be a big ask from a team coming off four combined wins in the past two seasons, the hype around this new squad continues to build. Although we will have to wait to see what this squad is truly capable of next season, it's certain that if anyone can lead them, it's Morris.