SportsFootball

Morel sets aside whistle for letters

Head football coach, Associated Student Federation (ASF) Forum co-adviser, Iota Delta adviser, University 100 co-facilitator, teacher, La Verne Atheletic Association member and former member of the Greek Review Board, Don Morel has already begun the recruitment of more than 300 athletes for next year's football team. / photo by Ryan Sones
Head football coach, Associated Student Federation (ASF) Forum co-adviser, Iota Delta adviser, University 100 co-facilitator, teacher, La Verne Atheletic Association member and former member of the Greek Review Board, Don Morel has already begun the recruitment of more than 300 athletes for next year’s football team. / photo by Ryan Sones

by Echelle Avelar
Photography Editor

White t-shirt, jeans, a green La Verne football hat, sitting in a beat-up orange chair watching football tapes, is not exactly the place one would expect to find the adviser of a sorority, but it would be the ideal place to find the head football coach. Despite the irony, the two positions are held by the same person, Don Morel.

A man with many hats is how most people would describe Morel, who is head football coach, co-adviser of Associated Student Federation (ASF) Forum, Orientation Week Leader (OWL) co-facilitator, professor of health and nutrition and who has just given up his chair on the Greek review board to become adviser of Iota Delta Sorority.

“The faculty member that has had the greatest effect on my life is Don Morel,” said ASF Treasurer Matthew Policare.

If there ever was a man that echoed the diversity of the University of La Verne, it is this 1987 alumnus.

This Lindsay, Calif., native began to map out his destiny of being a football coach as early as sixth grade, although he admits that his mom never wanted him to play the game.

“My mom hated football, she always thought that I would get hurt and I think she saw a lot of negatives in football,” said Morel. “My dad loved football. He was good about letting us do whatever we wanted to do. If any of us wanted to do anything he would support it.”

Morel came from a large family, from which he learned strict discipline with his five siblings. Although he was the youngest, he has a close relationship with his twin sister, Donna, whom he still sees regularly.

Education was always stressed at the Morel house. Only 10 out of the 105 seniors that graduated in his high school class went to college, including Morel and Donna.

He came to La Verne in the fall of 1983 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history, receiving a master’s in education from Cal State Fullerton.

Besides being a defensive lineman, Morel was a resident assistant at Brandt and OWL coordinator for orientation. After he graduated, Morel took a graduate assistant job at Division I Cal State Fullerton. He soon made his way up the ladder to head offensive line coach.

“The emphasis is on winning there, but it was a great experience,” Morel said.

In the spring of 1991, Rex Huigens became head coach of La Verne’s football team and asked Morel to be offensive coordinator, where he stayed for four years.

In 1995, Morel became head coach for ULV and finished the year 9-0, winning a SCIAC championship. In 1996, the team finished 7-2 and in 1997, the Leopards fell to 2-7.

Football is not just a game, but a tool for Morel.

“It is a tool to affect people in life. It gives motivation, dedication, and responsibility,” he said. “If you don’t have fun playing football, don’t play.”

But being a football coach is not the only activity Morel enjoys. He has been co-facilitator for University 100 classes in the fall and taught a health and nutrition class during the spring semester for seven years.

“It [University 100] gives me a chance to meet eight new students a year that I would never have known,” Morel said. “The strongest thing about this institution is the chance a student has to have a relationship with faculty members.”

“It is important for me to do a good job as a football coach. It means more than winning football games, it means players having good experiences,” he said.

Morel says that being a good football player has to show on and off the field.

“I think it’s important on any team that you maintain a positive image and I think there are a lot of negative stereotypes about football players. Unfortunately, a lot of players do things to perpetuate those stereotypes,” said Morel.

Having fun is something Morel expresses to all that he comes into contact with. His laid-back attitude has followed him into each of his leadership positions. As ASF co-adviser, he has tried to keep an open mind and be as patient as can be expected.

“He gives you knowledge about things that you do not learn in class,” said Policare.

Morel has been married for five years to his wife, Barbie, whom he met through a fellow coach at Fullerton and, up until recently, had no children. Morel has taken the adviser position for Iota Delta, where he has quickly become the father of 30 women.

“At first I was kind of doubtful since we are an all-female organization. I didn’t know how to react. I know a lot of the girls felt the same way,” said Iota Delta President Kristen Dow.

“I thought it was really cool being so diverse that we could include whoever we wanted as our adviser,” said Iota Delta member Erin Hernandez.

When Morel was first asked to be adviser for Iota Delta, he remembered all his ill feelings of the Greek system when he went to school at ULV.

But after much persuasion, Morel finally took the role as adviser.

“We had a meeting with him and we walked in with open minds, although some of us had more doubts than others about a male adviser, but after we spent an hour with him, we all came out very impressed,” said Iota Delta member Jessica Rios.

“After we met with Don, he was just so enthusiastic and anxious to get involved. His different perspective will be good since he has no Greek standpoint. And he’s really visible on campus,” said Dow.

“I am always happy to help any group on this campus and I think they could have used my help. I think it is a great group of women and I am looking forward to working with them,” said Morel.

“It’s obvious that he will be a friend, a good adviser, and a father figure. He walked in ASF adviser, head football coach and walked out father of 30 women,” said Rios.

“We had the initiation ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 23,” he said. “So far I am very impressed with the sorority.”

Echelle Avelar, Sports Editor
Echelle Avelar
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