Steve Morris of Kenosha Bradford Voted High School on SI Wisconsin's Football Coach of the Year

Morris earned 39% of the vote to outdistance Sussex Hamilton head coach Justin Gumm, who finished second with 20%

Steve Morris of Kenosha Bradford has been voted High School on SI Wisconsin Football Coach of the Year / Kenosha Bradford Football

Congratulations to Steve Morris of Kenosha Bradford for being voted High School On SI Wisconsin Football Coach of the Year.

In the enthusiastic fan-voted poll (held Dec. 17-Dec. 24), consisting of 25 talented head coaches throughout the state, the Kenosha Bradford first-year head coach came out on top.

In his first season at the helm, Morris revitalized the program by guiding the Red Devils to a third-place finish in the highly competitive Southeast Conference, a berth in the WIAA Division 1 playoffs, and a 7-3 overall record (marking an impressive turnaround from a frustrating 3-7 overall finish in 2024).

The team's strong 5-0 start (including victories over Wilmot, Appleton North, Kenosha Tremper, Kenosha Indian Trail, and Racine Horlick) was the best in program history since the memorable undefeated 2011 state championship-winning season.

"Top to bottom, our mantra is ‘All In,’" said Morris, in a release after being named the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA)/Green Bay Packers Coach of the Week earlier this season. "Our culture is everything. We say discipline, integrity and hard work. With that comes mental toughness and grit, which I think you have to have. I preach the importance of doing your job, knowing your job and getting your job done to our guys. You can see it in their eyes; they want to achieve more and finishing at 7-3 is a testament to where they are at with their mental toughness, discipline, and process-driven mindset.”

Morris was a standout high school player, being named WFCA Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 as a star quarterback for Southeast Conference champion Racine Horlick (passing for 2,681 yards, rushing for 1,149 yards and combining for 49 touchdowns). He went on to become a three-time NCAA Division III national champion as a standout wide receiver for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team.

Bringing 10 years of coaching experience to the mix (including valuable stints with Racine Horlick,Racine St. Catherine's and UW-Whitewater), he brought an intriguing, energetic style to the Bradford program centered on assignment-sound football.

"We always say, ‘It’s WE not ME at the B,’" Morris added. "Everyone here plays a pivotal part in our success, so I'm really happy to share this with not only our coaches and players but our AD and administration as well. It’s a full circle moment for our program to see where we were in December to now, knowing that we are on the right track and getting recognized for that.”

Morris' coaching staff included assistants Brian Mosley, Kyle LaMay, Fitzel Ross, Bruce Marshall, Jacob Perotto, Nasier Santoya, LaRyan Johnson, Shawnelle Gross, Kyle Pollock, C.J. Wilson, Barett Innes, and Tanner Saarnio.

Morris earned 39% of the vote to claim top honors, Sussex Hamilton's Justin Gumm finished second (20%), and Mayville's Scott Hilber was third (15%) in the week-long poll.

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-- Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com