Meet the Coaching Staff STAFF
ASSISTANT COACH JAKE MORTON Jake Morton enters his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Hurricanes men’s basketball program. Last season, Morton played a key role on the coaching staff that helped Miami post its second 20-win season in the last three years – and just the fifth since the return of the program in 1985-86, with the Hurricanes going 20-13. Miami raced out to a 15-1 mark, breaking into the Top 25 for the third straight season, and went on to knock off nationally-ranked Georgia Tech and advance to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. It was the first ACC semifinal appearance for a UM team, while the two wins marked the most for the Hurricanes in a conference postseason tournament. COACHING EXPERIENCE
In 2008-09, Morton helped Miami to its second-straight postseason appearance as the Hurricanes advanced to the second round of the NIT en route to a 19-13 finish. The Hurricanes opened the season ranked among the nation’s Top 25 in both polls for just the second time in program history, and went on to knock off nationallyranked Wake Forest and Boston College, while also earning a road win at Kentucky. In Morton’s first season on the Hurricanes’ staff in 200708, the team put together one of the biggest single-season turnarounds in the country and posted the secondmost wins in program history (23), including a Miamirecord 14 wins at home and a program-best fifth-place finish in the ACC. Additionally, UM knocked off St. Mary’s in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the second round for the first time since 2000. After his inaugural season as assistant coach at his alma mater, Morton took a moment to thank the current Hurricanes for their hard work at the team’s postseason banquet. "A month ago I got to do something that I have always wanted to," said Morton. "I want to thank these guys for taking me to a place I have always wanted to go... And to be able to do that at my alma mater — I just can't explain how great that feels."
2007-Present 2004-07 2000-04 1999-2000
Miami Assistant Coach James Madison Assistant Coach St. Francis (Pa.) Assistant Coach Bowie State Assistant Coach
PLAYING EXPERIENCE “Hustle Award” — an honor he would earn again following the 1991-92 season — and was named the team’s defensive player of the year three separate times. Following his UM career, Morton went on to play professionally in Israel for six years. Morton’s coaching career began in New York where he served as a counselor and coach at the Five-Star Basketball Camp, which included future collegiate and NBA stars such as Richard Hamilton, Vince Carter and Stephon Marbury.
1993-99 1988-93
Israel Professionally Miami Letterman
EDUCATION 1993
Miami Bachelors (General Studies)
Morton graduated from UM in 1993 with a degree in general studies. He is married to the former Robin DeVeaux and they have three children, daughter Alexis (12), son Jalen (9) and infant son Joshua.
A four-year letterwinner at Miami from 1988-93, Morton returned to his alma mater in 2007-08, following a three-year stint at James Madsion where he served as an assistant coach under Dean Keener. Prior to joining the JMU staff in 2004, Morton served as an assistant coach at St. Francis (Pa.) from 2000-04, following a one-year stay at Bowie State during the 19992000 campaign. As a player with the Hurricanes, Morton tallied 909 points, 245 rebounds and 194 assists during his UM career. With his name scattered throughout the Hurricane record books, Morton ranks ninth all-time in UM history in three-pointers made (136), 10th in three-pointers attempted (390) and 14th in career three-point percentage (.349). During the 1989-90 season, he recorded a team-high 45 steals while averaging 11.0 points per game as a sophomore. That same season, he garnered the team’s
37
HURRICANESPORTS.COM | UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI MEN’S BASKETBALL | 2010-11