Jance Morris dreamed of being at the helm of a Class 6A basketball program in West Texas.
When ECISD athletic director Todd Vesely offered Morris the boys coaching job at Odessa High boys basketball team, the 30-year-old from Roby said he answered quickly with “Yes sir. We will be there.”
Morris, who began his coaching journey at the Class 1A program in 2009, achieved his dream of joining the 6A ranks as ECISD announced his hiring in a press release on Monday.
“To me, Odessa High is a destination job,” Morris said in a phone interview. “My goal has been to be a 6A head coach in West Texas. That’s where we wanted to be in West Texas at the highest level and now we have the opportunity.”
The 30-year-old head coach spent the previous two seasons as the boys basketball coach at Perryton. Morris and his wife, Marisa, made the nearly 400-mile trip from Perryton to look at houses in Odessa this past weekend.
After earning his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at Tarleton State, Morris’ journey as a coach began when he was earning his master’s degree in educational administration at Lamar. He accepted his first coaching job at Lingleville and when he completed graduate school in 2012 Morris became the boys basketball coach at Dalhart until 2014. He would later accept the same job at Tulia in 2014 and again at Perryton in 2015.
“I’ve been blessed,” Morris said about his coaching path. “I’ve been at the right places at the right time from my first job until now. The kids I’ve had have always been hard working with a great group of parents around them and will do anything the coaching staff asks.”
In addition to the success at each program, Vesely said ECISD conducts a wide array of interviews for applicants — including with previous employers, opposing coaches and families of former players.
Vesely said the newest Odessa High boys basketball coach received raving reviews from everyone ECISD interviewed on behave of Morris.
“He has a very good track record and the people in his past speak very highly of him and he gets the most of out of his players,” Vesely said about Morris. “We think that he’ll be a really good fit for Odessa High.”
During his final season at Perryton, Morris helped guide the Rangers to a 20-9 record and bi-district and area playoff victories against Levelland and Monahans, respectively.
Morris enters an optimal situation at Odessa High. The Bronchos concluded its 2017 campaign with a 10-22 record, but they have the chance to return four of five starters — including the reining District 2-6A offensive MVP Isaac Hernandez.
After he applied for the job, Morris did plenty of research on the Bronchos’ program and their roster of eight underclassmen — a majority of which received a wealth of varsity playing time.
“It seems like a great opportunity,” Morris said. “It’s a great job and a lot of great kids and a lot of good pieces to build around. We are really excited. I know it’s a tough district and a tough area and a tough region. Region I-6A is about as tough as it gets. We are ready for the challenge.”
Morris is the third head coach for the Odessa High in as many years.
Vesely knows the opportunity to coach the Bronchos also opens more chances to other programs. Matt Jackson — who coached the Bronchos from 2014 to 2016 — accepted the same job in Lorena, while Nate Bridges stood at the helm during the 2016-2017 season went on to be the boys basketball coach at Greenwood in April.
“It’s unfortunate anytime you have a coaching change,” Vesely said. “Anytime you do that, it’s a challenge. We look for someone who is going to minimize that challenge for our young people.”
Morris reiterated during the phone interview that he’s ready to get started at Odessa High.
Though this will be Morris’ first coaching job at the Class 6A level, there are limited nerves. Morris is excited about the chance to work with a number of players that specialize in basketball.
 “I’ve been never at a school this size, but I’ve been a school with 70 kids and I’ve been a school with 700 kids,” Morris said. “The thing that it’s similar is that kids are kids.
“If we go in there and build relationships and get to work with them, they will do what we ask and they’ll bust their butts for us.”
