Morrison reacts to contract extension as spring slate starts on Saturday

Key notes from Jamie Morrison interview

• I feel like we do this weekly, and then all of a sudden, you become a long-lost friend whom I haven’t seen in a few months. If you need a co-host, I can help out there, too.
   
• Life is busier. Everyone talks about the championship hangover and that people get complacent, but people want a piece of you, whether it’s an athlete or a coach. You get pulled in different directions. I’ve had to say no more, and I’ve had to be more selective, which I don’t like that. That’s different. It’s interesting in that people treat you differently, even though I’m the same person and the same coach I was three years ago. Year 1 was the year of “Yes.” I’m trying to get myself back in shape and find more balance in my life so that we can do it for years to come.
   
• I looked off in the distance, deep in thought, because what we did didn’t exceed my expectations. This place has exceeded my expectations. There can be a really good balance between academics and athletics here, where we can take some long road trips but still keep it about the four-year process of being a student-athlete. We get the one-percenters over and over because of the support that is around us, whether that is the administration or the donor base, and that has allowed us to get where we are at the end in Year 3. It’s never a drastic thing. It’s the small ones that add to the big things.
   
• Gratitude is the No. 1 thing for me to leadership, our administration, and our coaching staff. It’s not about me. It’s about the staff and players and everyone around us that believes we can do something special. I’m not done yet. We might not win another one, but we’re going to be in the mix every single year. We want to be in a spot where we’re in the mix and build a fan base that loves what we’re doing. Getting us there is something that drives me as much as winning a national championship. They trust that we’re heading in that direction, and I’m still hungry. The vision is coming true, but there is still meat on the bone.
   
• I feel the responsibility to give back. Someone said it’s my turn to be the voice for volleyball. I remember talking to Karch Kiraly, who is the greatest volleyball player to ever play our sport, and I remember how amazing he was with every single fan that came up. He said he can’t count the number of emails he gets about that moment 20 years later. There is a responsibility with it, and it’s cool. I tell our athletes that it’s their responsibility too, as it could change someone’s life.
   
• One of the things I’m proud of is that there are a select number of programs and administrations that believe in what our sport can become, and I think I added to that list at A&M. That gives me the most pride. I added to the upper echelon. We’re in the mix, and our administration is treating us like those other programs. We’re showing up on the “threat” part of the SWOT analysis. In our sport, the coaches care, and they want our sport to grow. There is respect from other coaches that we’ve brought this thing to where it is now.
   
• If you look at our offense last year, this might be the wrong analogy; it would be like if you had a quarterback who was one-dimensional and could run. Now, you might see more throwing. We have more hitters who can hit off of one leg. My biggest worry is comparisons to last year’s team, and they’re going to do it their own way. Each team is really good at their own superpower. This tream might be better with those small, little touches. We’ll be able to put some balls up in different places, and it’ll be about finding ways to win. We get to test it vs. some people in order uniforms this weekend to see what works.
   
• You’re going to see some people who didn’t play as much last year. Addi Applegate was on the court half the time. Gabi Rodriguez comes in after being a high school All-American. It’s going to look a lot younger, and we have three of the best in the country from Houston Skyline. We’re adding Kaia Castle and Eliza Sharp, and they can run off one leg. Whoever is here, we want to prepare them for what’s next. Megan Fitch has incredible ball control, and she is a really good volleyball player. Natalie Ring was a third-team All-American, and along with Kyndal Stowers, they can really put the ball away.
   
• This part is my favorite piece, by far. If I weren’t doing this, I would be a serial entrepreneur who was just doing start-up after start-up. I also love the teaching piece. I love teaching and trying to find culture in new pieces.
   
• You want to win. That’s not the end-all, be-all for me, though. One, it’s pressure testing the work that has been put in. You can start all of practice, and then all of a sudden you play someone different, and it looks great. You want to figure out what will work when the Ws and Ls will work. You also want people to step out and shine, like Fitch and Amaré Hernandez will get to go out and shine this spring. It’s a mix of all of it. A rising tide carries the ship, so can we get our entire team to do the things it takes? If you’re a national championship team, the competition you see in your practice gym should be the best you see all week. If we’re recruiting and training the right way, that’s where the practice gym should be.
   
• Before I forget, on Saturday, there is a 5 p.m. chalk talk through PlayFly if you’re interested in hearing a little bit about our championship run before our 6:30 p.m. match. It’s a chance for people to come out and see the new personalities on our team and how they compete. I want to see how we’ll compete when somebody else is on the other side of the net. This week is a chance for us to show the work that we’ve put in over the last few weeks. I think we’ve built something that’s unique and amazing, but it needs be fought for inside Reed Arena. I’m excited for our new girls to see what that looks like.