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New Hawks coach sets eyes on national prize

  • Published
  • By John Parker
  • Staff Writer
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The new Tinker Hawks head coach is keeping it simple on goals for the upcoming season.

Just win the national championship.

"We've kind of established that as a culture around here over the last three seasons, that unless we win that conference championship and head down there and win the nationals, anything short of that would be kind of a disappointing season for us, regardless of our record," coach Jonathan Morgan said.

That's not just wishful thinking for the Hawks. The base's varsity basketball team took home the Central U.S. Military Basketball Conference trophy in 2012 and '13. They fell just short of winning the National Military Basketball Championship in those years, finishing runner-up twice.

Morgan, 40, recently moved up from assistant to head coach after the retirement of longtime and legendary coach Clarence "Griff" Griffin. Morgan had been the Hawks' assistant coach since 2011.

The tech order manager for the B-2 Systems Program Office played for Altus Air Force Base in the early 2000s while on active duty. Morgan is also a technical sergeant in the Reserve's 507th Logistics Readiness Squadron.

The coach said he prefers for players to control the game tempo -- and not a high one -- as a path to victory over competitive teams. The Hawks have beaten military squads from all around the nation and from different services.

"The idea that I want to sell to the guys is that we want to play with a controlled tempo where we share the ball on offense to make the defense move around, kind of wear them down," Morgan said. "And then on the other end take advantage of their fatigue and then rebound as a team and get out on the break and take advantage of those opportunities when you can."

The Hawks will benefit from returning starters, including Brian Johnston, Jarail Smith, Ryan Florie, Corey Clark, Zhamar McAdory and Dalane Finley.

"We can compete with anybody across the board," coach Morgan said. "We've definitely got one of the strongest teams in the country. I expect us to win pretty much every tournament we go to. I expect us to win championships. It's just a matter of getting the guys together and getting it done."

The 10-team Central U.S. Military Basketball Conference includes competition from military installations in Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Texas and New Mexico. The Hawks are in the North division.

The regular season begins in October and runs through April. The Hawks practice at 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Gerrity Fitness Center.