Montana Tech announced today the appointment of Chuck Morrell as Athletic Director for the campus. Morrell will continue as the head football coach and will add the duties of AD.
Morrell replaces Dave Lau who resigned from the position due to family reasons after serving for approximately three months.
Montana Tech Chancellor Don Blackketter selected Morrell after careful consideration of a number of candidates and vetting him through the Montana Tech Athletic Committee, which is composed of faculty, staff and student representation. “I am pleased to have Chuck assume the duties of Athletic Director for Montana Tech,” said Blackketter. “His experience in collegiate athletics and dedication to Montana Tech and our student-athletes, as well as his commitment to the Butte community, make him the perfect choice.”
Morrell was hired at Montana Tech in December 2010 as the head football coach. Since holding the reins at Montana Tech, Morrell has produced eight first team All-Conference selections and 11 second team nods. In 2012, the Oredigger football team won the Frontier Conference Championship and Coach Morrell was selected as Frontier Conference and AFCA Regional Coach of the Year. During that season, Morrell led the Orediggers on an eight-game win streak and berth in the NAIA FCS for the first time since 2005. Initially unranked, the team reached No. 7 in the polls that year.
Prior to coming to Montana Tech, Morrell was the defensive coordinator for the University of South Dakota (USD). Prior to going to USD, Chuck was the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at the University of Sioux Falls (USF) from 1998 through 2009. During his time at USF, the team won national championships in 2006, 2008, and 2009. In 2007, the team was national runners-up. From 2005-2009, Sioux Falls’ overall record was 67-3 with Chuck as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.
“I am looking forward to moving the Athletic Department at Montana Tech forward,” noted Morrell. “My life-long mission has always been to lead and mentor young people on the road to becoming difference-makers in our society. Stepping into the Athletic Director role will allow me to enhance my interactions with all student-athletes across campus along with alumni and friends in Butte and across the nation.” Morrell added, “We have a great team here in the athletic department, which includes tremendous head coaches who are dedicated to Montana Tech. As we look to the near future, I look forward to fully staffing the department and working daily to fulfill the mission of the department and Montana Tech.”
“We are very happy with the selection of Chuck Morrell as Athletic Director,” said Josh Vincent, President of the Digger Athletic Association. “Chuck will provide much needed stability in the department and we welcome his leadership. I would like to thank all of our community supporters, donors, and partners for their continued support of Oredigger Athletics. Chuck's first order of business will be to staff up the department, get out in the community, and visit with our fan base.”
Morrell holds a bachelor’s degree in biology/pre-medicine from the University of Sioux Falls in Sioux Falls, SD. Morrell will immediately take over the duties of Athletic Director.