Chicago State hires veteran assistant Morris Scott for recruiting boost

Chicago State hired Morris Scott as its assistant men’s basketball coach on July 1, adding a voice with more than two decades in college basketball and a résumé that runs straight through the junior-college lane. For a program trying to sell itself to two-year prospects, that matters: Scott has coached at the NCAA Division I, junior college and high school levels, and his background gives the Cougars immediate credibility with players and coaches who live in the NJCAA market.

Scott’s most recent stop came at Chattahoochee Valley Community College, where he served as head men’s basketball coach and handled recruiting, player development, budgeting, scheduling, scouting, academic support and team operations. He also worked there as a Health Science Instructor during his two-year tenure. That combination is the kind of detail junior-college coaches notice. It signals a staffer who understands not just how to evaluate talent, but how to manage the off-court structure that keeps a roster moving, a player eligible and a program organized.

His path also runs through some of the most relevant proving grounds in the South. Before Chattahoochee Valley, Scott spent four seasons as an assistant at Louisiana Monroe and seven seasons at Southern University, where he helped the Jaguars win two SWAC Tournament titles, one SWAC regular-season championship and reach two NCAA Tournaments. He finished his Southern stint as interim head coach in the 2017-18 season. Scott’s coaching stops also include Northwestern State, Grambling State, Southeastern Louisiana, Okaloosa-Walton College and Florida A&M, giving him a footprint that stretches across Louisiana, Alabama and Florida, all fertile ground for junior-college and under-the-radar talent.

Scott’s own playing background adds to the pitch. Chicago State said he was a standout at Florida A&M, where he was a team captain, won Most Outstanding Player honors and helped the Rattlers reach their first NCAA Tournament. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education and a master’s degree in Education with a concentration in Sports and Leisure Management from Florida A&M. That profile fits the job Chicago State is trying to do under Landon Bussie, who was announced as head coach on March 20, 2025 after leading Alcorn State from 2020 to 2025.

The timing matters for a Cougars program that finished 7-25 overall and 5-13 in Northeast Conference play in 2025-26, tied for ninth in the league. Chicago State is trying to stabilize its roster and sharpen its recruiting footprint, and Scott gives Bussie a direct line to the junior-college coaches and two-year players who can reshape a roster quickly. The school’s staff directory already lists Scott as assistant men’s basketball coach, a formal sign that the Cougars see him as part recruiter, part developer and part bridge to the JUCO pipeline.