Floyd Morgison a USD 343 Treasure
by Jamie Fuller
"Coach Morgison has been a teacher, coach, mentor, and in some cases, a parent to many of the people who make up our district", wrote Coach Jeff Dickson. "Coach Morgison is the most successful coach in any sport at Perry-Lecompton High School going 210-151 in his 16 years as head basketball coach, including several league championships and trips to the state tournament."
With those words a proposal was submitted to the USD 343 School
Board to honor Coach Floyd Morgison for his many contributions to
the students and patrons of USD 343. The proposal submitted by
Coach Dickson was passed through quickly by the board
5-0.
"We wanted to do something to honor Coach Morgison for what he did
as a coach but more importantly what he has done as a mentor and
father figure to our team and all the past and future students
whose lives Coach has touched", said Dickson.
Tim Blosser, '78 PLHS Graduate, has nothing but fond memories of his time that he played for Coach Morgison, who was like a father figure to him. "He was the greatest and he means a lot to me," said Blosser. "He made you think you were good even if you weren’t."
Blosser played under Coach Morgison all four years of his high
school career. As a senior, he didn't plan on playing, but after
talking with Coach Morgison he was convinced to play.
"He was very fair and if you could play he played you," said
Blosser as he remembers being a starter at 5'5".
Now days Coach Morgison spends his time managing the writing lab in the high school and being a para-professional for at-risk students. There have many instances where he has been referred to as the "grandpa" of the school.
Those who use his lab look forward to the days in which he has chocolate animal crackers sitting out for students to eat. He continues to support PLHS athletics and is still making impacts on the lives of athletes and students.
"He is a great example of an adult who truly cares about kids
growing up the right way and never giving up on them," said Shelby
Lewis, ’07 PLHS Graduate. "He helped make my senior year my best.
I’ll never forget our talks whether it be about girl fights or
advice on life."
Coach Morgison is willing to do anything to help and always seems
to be going out of his way to make people smile. Most students know
that if they need advice about anything, especially basketball,
they can turn to him. Though he may give you an earful, he is
always helpful and encouraging. His wisdom is something that he
shares with everyone and anyone who is lucky enough to get to know
him will always have a spot for him in their heart.
"Not only is Coach Morgison a hall of fame coach, he is a hall of
fame person. I go to him because he challenges me as a coach and
helps me become better at what I do. He cares enough about people
to tell them things they may not want to hear but really need to
hear. Coach has had a tremendous impact on my life both personally
and professionally and I have the utmost respect for him", said
Coach Dickson.
