{{Short description|American baseball player and sports coach}} {{Use American English|date=August 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Country Morris | image = Country Morris (Taps 1920).png | alt = | caption = Morris in 1920 | birth_date = 1890 or 1891 | birth_place = Rockingham County, Virginia, U.S. | death_date = July 10, 1976 (aged 85) | death_place = Glen Falls, New York, U.S. | alma_mater = Maryland<ref name="SABR">{{cite web |last1=Keenan |first1=Jimmy |title=August 26, 1922: Waynesboro wins despite unruly Martinsburg fans |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/august-26-1922-waynesboro-wins-despite-unruly-martinsburg-fans/ |publisher=Society for American Baseball Research |access-date=17 August 2023}}</ref> | player_years1 = 1911 | player_team1 = Worcester Busters<ref name="DitD">{{cite web |title=Reggie Rawlings, "Legend of the Blue Ridge" |url=https://www.diamondsinthedusk.com/uploads/articles/226-img2-RAWLINGS_Reggie.pdf |website=Diamonds in the Dusk |access-date=17 August 2023}}</ref> | player_years2 = 1915–1918 | player_team2 = Martinsburg Champs/Blue Sox/Mountaineers | coach_sport1 = Baseball | coach_years2 = 1915–1918 | coach_team2 = Martinsburg Champs/Blue Sox/Mountaineers | coach_years3 = 1917, 1920 | coach_team3 = Clemson | coach_years4 = 1920–1923, 1926 | coach_team4 = Waynesboro Red Birds/Villagers | coach_sport5 = Basketball | coach_years6 = 1916–1917, 1919–1920 | coach_team6 = Clemson | coach_sport7 = Football | coach_years8 = 1916–1917, 1919 | coach_team8 = Clemson (assistant) | coach_years9 = 1923–1957 | coach_team9 = The Albany Academy | overall_record = 17–28 (college baseball)<br/>16–8 (basketball) | bowl_record = | tournament_record = | championships = | awards = }}
'''William Gordon''' "'''Country'''" '''Morris''' was an American baseball player and baseball, basketball, and football coach. Morris was born in 1890 or 1891 in Rockingham County, Virginia. He lettered in four sports, including football (where he was captain of the 1913 team) and baseball, at Maryland Agricultural College.<ref name="NYT obit">{{cite web |title=WILLIAM G. MORRIS, SPORTS DIRECTOR, 85 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/07/11/archives/william-g-morris-sports-director-85.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=17 August 2023 |date=July 11, 1976}}</ref> Morris played minor league baseball for the Worcester Busters of the New England League in 1911 and for the Martinsburg Champs/Blue Sox/Mountaineers of the Blue Ridge League as a player/coach from 1915 to 1918.<ref name="SABR"/><ref name="DitD"/><ref>{{cite web |title=William Morris |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=morris012wil |website=Baseball-Reference |access-date=17 August 2023}}</ref>
In 1916, he as hired as an assistant football coach at Clemson College, and he was also head basketball and baseball coach. He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1917, returning to Clemson in 1919 to coach one more season.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bourret|first1=Tim|last2=Sikes|first2=Philip|title=2012–13 Clemson Men's Basketball Media Guide|url=http://www.clemsontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=657841&SPID=103715&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=28500&ATCLID=205715702|publisher=Clemson University|accessdate=August 17, 2023|page=141|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002029/http://www.nmnathletics.com/fls/28500/pdf/m_basketball/2012-13/mens_basketball_guide_12-13.pdf?SPSID=657841&SPID=103715&DB_OEM_ID=28500|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Henessey|first=Brian|url=http://www.nmnathletics.com/fls/28500/pdf/baseball/2016-17/MediaGuide.pdf?&SPSID=657829&SPID=103712&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=28500|publisher=Clemson Tigers|title=2017 Baseball Media Guide|pages=157|accessdate=August 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803011900/http://www.nmnathletics.com/fls/28500/pdf/baseball/2016-17/MediaGuide.pdf?&SPSID=657829&SPID=103712&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=28500|archive-date=August 3, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
From 1920 to 1923, and in 1926, Morris returned to the Blue Ridge League to coach the Waynesboro Red Birds/Villagers. From 1923 until 1957, he coached football at The Albany Academy, where his son and Andy Rooney attended.<ref>{{cite web |title=W. Gordon Morris Jr., 85, formerly of Albany |url=https://www.northcountrynow.com/obituaries/w-gordon-morris-jr-85-formerly-albany |website=North Country Now |access-date=17 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Rooney |first1=Andy |author1-link=Andy Rooney |title=My War |date=2008 |publisher=PublicAffairs |isbn=9781586486822 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oRwbdEhI9f8C&dq=%22Country+Morris%22+baseball&pg=PT13 |access-date=17 August 2023}}</ref> Morris died on July 10, 1976, in Glen Falls, New York.<ref name="NYT obit"/>
==Head coaching record== ===Baseball=== {{CBB yearly record start |type=coach |conference=no}} {{CBB yearly record entry | championship = | season = 1917 | name = {{CBSB link|year=1917|team=Clemson Tigers|title=Clemson}} | overall = 13–13 | conference = no }} {{CBB yearly record entry | championship = | season = 1920 | name = {{CBSB link|year=1920|team=Clemson Tigers|title=Clemson}} | overall = 4–15 | conference = no }} {{CBB Yearly Record End | overall = {{winning percentage|17|28|record=y}} }}
===Basketball=== {{CBB yearly record start |type=coach |conference=no}} {{CBB yearly record entry | championship = | season = 1916–17 | name = Clemson | overall = 8–2 | conference = no }} {{CBB yearly record entry | championship = | season = 1919–20 | name = Clemson | overall = 8–6 | conference = no }} {{CBB Yearly Record End | overall = {{winning percentage|16|8|record=y}} }}
==References== {{commons category}} {{reflist}}
{{Clemson Tigers baseball coach navbox}} {{Clemson Tigers men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Country}} Category:Year of birth uncertain Category:1976 deaths Category:Maryland Terrapins football players Category:Maryland Terrapins baseball players Category:Martinsburg Champs players Category:Martinsburg Blue Sox players Category:Martinsburg Mountaineers players Category:Minor league baseball managers Category:Clemson Tigers baseball coaches Category:Clemson Tigers men's basketball coaches Category:Clemson Tigers football coaches Category:Worcester Busters players