Coach Jim Morris reveals winning formula
Extraordinary people prepare for opportunities they don’t even know exist. If you want to be great, you have to have a vision and lay out a plan to get there. Jim Morris, the head baseball coach at the University of Miami, started planning his journey more than 40 years ago – and he’s been winning ever since.
“You have to plan for [success] and you have to be prepared for it. It’s like luck. Luck is taking advantage of someone giving you an opportunity. You have to be prepared for it and jump on that and be ready for it.” –Jim Morris
Jim’s influence on the game and the players he’s coached is immeasurable. Whether it was starting a program from scratch at the junior college level, commanding 12 straight winning seasons at Georgia Tech or leading Miami to two national championships, Jim knows what it takes to win. His formula is simple: set goals, plan for them and outwork everyone else.
“I sat down with our guys individually and talked about the short term and the long term goals and tried to develop a plan to do that. I think that’s what you have to do. You have to have goals and – just as important – you have to have a plan on how to achieve those goals … And it’s the same thing with me as a coach. I can’t just win the national championship without a plan and I can’t have the best recruiting class without having a plan. It’s the same way in business. You have a plan, you have to have good people, you have to follow the plan, you have to work hard and you have to be committed to that plan.” –Jim Morris
With just two seasons left before he hangs up his uniform for the first time since he was eight years old, Jim credits the game for who he is today. His mindset is truly remarkable.
“[Baseball] definitely changed my life. It gave me a college education. It gave me a chance to go to grad school and get a job like I’ve gotten. I can see that with our players … these guys get a chance to make a tremendous impact and are given an opportunity to be successful. [Baseball] teaches them how to discipline themselves and how to do the things you have to do to win. That’s carried over into business … those things give you a head start in life.” –Jim Morris