Morris was a 1953 graduate of Jeffersonville (Ind.) High School, where he played basketball, baseball, and football. He attended the University of Notre Dame before transferring to Bellarmine University, where he graduated cum laude in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in English. He also earned a master’s degree in secondary education from Indiana University.

Upon graduating from Bellarmine, Morris served active duty with the U.S. Army. In 1958, he began a 42-year teaching and coaching career at high school and college levels, culminating in his tenure at Indiana University Southeast.

In addition to serving as a coach, Morris was the first full-time athletics director at IU Southeast, securing the school’s affiliation with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) while developing a full-fledged athletics program.

For his 25 years of service to the Grenadiers, Morris was honored with the IU Southeast Chancellor’s Medallion in 2010. The Department of Athletics also bestows the annual Jim Morris Champion of Character Award to a deserving athlete who represents Morris's ideals of commitment, respect, and integrity. Morris was also a recipient of the IU Bicentennial Medal in 2020.

Coach Morris’s family, friends, colleagues, and players—as well as many community members—established this endowed scholarship in memory of Coach Morris, who passed away in June 2023 at age 87. Thank you for honoring his legacy and supporting our dedicated IU Southeast student-athletes!