Randee Romero is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Red Mountain High School for AZPreps365.com

Red Mountain assistant baseball coach Scott Morgan is going on his 45th year of coaching in Arizona. Morgan, 73, has retired from paid coaching positions but continues to volunteer as a coach because of his love for the game, and the desire to teach respect for baseball.

“This is my passion," Morgan said. "I don’t have the energy to be a head coach anymore, but I really like being involved."

Morgan began his coaching career in California in 1972. He moved to Arizona with his wife five years later, and started his first Arizona coaching position at Rhodes Junior High School. Morgan coached there for three years, until an assistant coaching position at Dobson High School opened up.

Morgan held the assistant coach position at Dobson for a year before taking the position of head coach. He remained the head coach and a special education teacher at Dobson for 16 years. While at Dobson, Morgan was named coach of the year for three consecutive years (1984-1986).

After a fulfilling career at Dobson, Morgan decided to retire in 1998. 

“I felt like at that point time it was probably time for someone else to take over,” Morgan said. “It takes a lot of energy to be a head coach, and sometimes a new voice is good to have.”

After retiring from his head coach position, Morgan bounced around the area in assistant coaching positions when asked to do so because of his desire to stay involved. Over the years he held assistant positions at Highland, returned to Dobson, and then to Red Mountain for what is now his seventh year with the program. 

“I just like the game, and I really like the kids and the people that I work with, and that’s what keeps me going,” Morgan said.

After losing his wife to cancer 10 years ago, Morgan attributes baseball in helping him stay occupied after the loss. He said volunteering has given him something to do in a time where he felt like he had to do something. 

Morgan has made himself well known, not only for his success in baseball, but for being a good person outside of it. He cares about what he’s putting onto the field, and what his players take away from it. 

“He’s a genuine person," assistant coach Mike Runge said. "He’s not going to sugarcoat anything, but he’s always going to tell you the truth."

Runge met Morgan while student teaching at Dobson 25 years ago. Runge said that it was a full circle to have started with Morgan then and to be together at Red Mountain now. 

“Mike was one of my assistants at Dobson and two of our other coaches here were playing at Saguaro when I was coaching at Dobson, so it’s all kind of gone full circle,” Morgan said.

Although a successful coach, Morgan isn’t one to boast about his accomplishments. Morgan has always prioritized the success of his players over his own.  

“I don’t know if the accomplishments are about me,” Morgan said. “For me, an accomplishment is building relationships with the players and watching them grow and maybe play at the next level or maybe find an occupation and do something good with their life.” 

“His greatest accomplishments aren’t the ones you’re going to see in the box score or anything like that,” Runge said. “It’s the kids he puts on the field and how they are off the field.”

Morgan’s involvement at Red Mountain began when he moved to the Gilbert area in need of a change. Morgan knew Red Mountain’s head coach at the time, Ross Pagel, and asked to help out and has been there since. 

Runge described Morgan as an honest dependable person in both baseball and outside of it. Morgan’s experience is a major influence for the Red Mountain coaches.

“He’s that steady calm influence,” Runge said. “He sees the whole thing and has no other agenda and passes that on to Rob and the other coaches.

“He’s kind of my eyes out there during a game. He'll point out some things that go on during the game that I maybe I’ll miss,” head coach, Rob Gorrell said. 

At Red Mountain, Morgan has been the catching coach for several years now. The Mountain Lions refer to the catching program that Morgan runs at practice as “Catcher U”. Gorrell said that Morgan has been working with Red Mountain’s starting senior catcher, Ryan Campos, all four years he has been at Red Mountain.

Campos, who will be playing at the University of Arizona next year, has been guided by Morgan throughout his high school career. However, Morgan passed credit to the catchers themselves. 

“The catchers are so dog gone good I really don’t have to do a whole lot,” Morgan said. “It’s more the kids than it is me."

“He’s probably seen anything on the baseball field that’s possible," Campos said. "He’s just got a wealth of knowledge.” 

Campos said that Red Mountain loves having Morgan around, and makes them want to play more.

“He’s taught me alot about playing, but he’s taught me alot about being a good person, too,” Campos said. “He's one of the most influential people in my life.” 

Morgan hasn’t shown signs of leaving the field yet, and the baseball community is also not ready to see him go. 

“It’s amazing, all the teams we play, how many people know him,” Gorrell said. “There's always people that come up and want to talk to Scott Morgan, and they’re just excited he’s still doing this”.

Morgan genuinely enjoys being involved in the game of baseball and the lessons it teaches. Throughout his career he has prioritized helping both players, and coaches reach their full potential on and off the field. 

“I’m going to keep doing this as long as I feel like I can be effective and relate to the kids, as long as I can help,” Morgan said. “I hope I’ve made the experience pleasant for them while they’re playing and showed them that there’s more to life than just baseball.” 

“As far as I’m concerned, he’s got a lifetime contract,” Gorrell said.