UNC Asheville Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone announced that Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Morrell has agreed to a contract extension through the 2027-28 season.
Morrell, the 2022-23 Big South Coach of the Year, guided the Bulldogs to the best season in program history in 2022-23. Asheville not only posted a school record 27 wins this season but also captured both the Big South Regular Season and Tournament Championships. It marks Asheville’s fourth outright regular season championship and eighth overall. The tournament title for the Bulldogs is their sixth in program history and with it earned the Big South’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, their first appearance since 2016.
“We are very proud to extend Coach Morrell’s contract,” said Cone. “The growth of the program over his five years has been extremely impressive. Coming off the best season in program history, we are excited about the future of our men’s basketball program under his continued leadership.”
Morrell said he is grateful for the opportunity to continue to lead the Bulldogs and build upon this past season’s success.
“I am very grateful to Janet Cone and our leadership here at UNC Asheville for their commitment to me and our team,” said Morrell. “I am very honored to be the Head Coach here and excited about the future of our program. Last year was an amazing season and I look forward to continuing to grow here and sustaining our success.”
Morrell’s 2022-23 Bulldogs matched the school record with 16 Big South regular season victories and set a new single-season program record with 25 wins against Division I opponents. Additionally, Morrell has led Asheville to an 18-2 record during the 2023 calendar year. The Bulldogs finished the 2022-23 season ranked No. 21 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll, which is the program’s highest ever ranking to conclude a season. For his work, Morrell was named a finalist for the Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award which goes to the top coach in Mid-Major College Basketball.
