Oklahoma State University Athletics
Photo by: OSU Athletics
October 21, 2026 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris is one of 28 FBS head football coaches on the 2026 Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award watch list, announced Wednesday by the Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards and the American Heart Association.
Morris, who is one of five Big 12 coaches on the watch list, was named the 25th head coach in program history on November 25, 2025, and is six games into his inaugural season at Oklahoma State. An elite offensive mind and talent developer, Morris had been the head coach at North Texas since 2023. His hire marked the first time since 1969 that Oklahoma State hired a sitting head coach and the first time in school history OSU hired a sitting head coach from a school that is in the FBS.
After arriving in Stillwater he brought in 91 newcomers, including 66 new transfers that made up the No. 7 transfer portal class in the nation according to both The Athletic and 247Sports.
It didn't take long for his impact to be seen on the field, as OSU defeated then-No.6 Oregon, 39-31, in his home debut at Boone Pickens Stadium. The win made Oklahoma State the first team in college football history to end a double-digit losing streak against an AP top-10 opponent, ended the longest losing streak in program history, marked OSU's first win over an AP top-six team since defeating No. 5 Notre Dame on January 1, 2022, and snapped Oregon's 12-game road winning streak, which was the longest in the FBS.
With the Cowboys now at 4-2, OSU already has three more wins than it did the season before Morris arrived. OSU ranks among the top five in the nation in both total offense and passing offense, and it has more total yards through six games than any season since 2019.
OSU has also made great strides on defense under Morris, as the Cowboys' points allowed and yards allowed through six games are both better than any season since 2021.
The Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award is given each January to a college football coach for contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life – both on and off the field. This award is the only college football coaching honor given after the national champion has been determined.
Morris, who is one of five Big 12 coaches on the watch list, was named the 25th head coach in program history on November 25, 2025, and is six games into his inaugural season at Oklahoma State. An elite offensive mind and talent developer, Morris had been the head coach at North Texas since 2023. His hire marked the first time since 1969 that Oklahoma State hired a sitting head coach and the first time in school history OSU hired a sitting head coach from a school that is in the FBS.
After arriving in Stillwater he brought in 91 newcomers, including 66 new transfers that made up the No. 7 transfer portal class in the nation according to both The Athletic and 247Sports.
It didn't take long for his impact to be seen on the field, as OSU defeated then-No.6 Oregon, 39-31, in his home debut at Boone Pickens Stadium. The win made Oklahoma State the first team in college football history to end a double-digit losing streak against an AP top-10 opponent, ended the longest losing streak in program history, marked OSU's first win over an AP top-six team since defeating No. 5 Notre Dame on January 1, 2022, and snapped Oregon's 12-game road winning streak, which was the longest in the FBS.
With the Cowboys now at 4-2, OSU already has three more wins than it did the season before Morris arrived. OSU ranks among the top five in the nation in both total offense and passing offense, and it has more total yards through six games than any season since 2019.
OSU has also made great strides on defense under Morris, as the Cowboys' points allowed and yards allowed through six games are both better than any season since 2021.
The Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award is given each January to a college football coach for contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life – both on and off the field. This award is the only college football coaching honor given after the national champion has been determined.
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