Kansas Sports Hall inductee: Troy Morrell

With the offer to become Butler Community College’s next football coach on the table in February 2000, Troy Morrell asked athletic director Curtis Hammeke for one night to think it over.

The 28-year-old Butler offensive coordinator talked to his wife, Jessica. He talked to Butler’s outgoing coach, James Shibest. He thought about his attachment to the school – he’d played there and won two national titles as an assistant under Shibest – and he thought about his 8-month-old son, Dylan, and what the extra money would mean to his young family.

And when it came down to that, there wasn’t much more to think about.

“My family is everything to me,” Morrell said. “Football was important, but I’d do anything for them. If there was an opportunity to make our lives better, I was going to take it.”

The next 15 seasons would turn Butler into the nation’s dominant junior-college program and turn Morrell into a first-ballot member of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, where he’ll be inducted Sunday.

“I was really surprised when I found out, just caught off guard,” said Morrell, who resigned in December. “Everybody around me is excited, my family, my friends. … I’ve heard from a lot of different people. For me, I just didn’t think something like that would happen. I feel very fortunate.”

Butler was fortunate to have Morrell as long as they did. He won three NJCAA titles in 15 seasons, 12 Jayhawk Conference titles and played for the NJCAA championship four other times. Twice, he was voted NJCAA coach of the year. His career winning percentage of .875 (154-22) is the best in NJCAA history. He also coached 70 All-Americans and the pipeline between Butler, NCAA Bowl Subdivision schools and the NFL seemed to never run out.

Morrell is now a senior account manager for Lowen Color Graphics in Hutchinson. He resigned, in part, to spend more time around Dylan, now a sophomore at Buhler High, and his younger daughter, Madelyn.

When asked about a game – or games – that stood out to him, Morrell was quick with an answer.

“In 2003, we beat Coffeyville twice, once in the regular season after we were down 28-3 at halftime and again when we were down 31-3 at halftime of the Region VI championship,” Morrell said. “And in the national championship (against Dixie State), we were down 10-0 at halftime and I came in the locker room and said, ‘Fellas, we’ve got them right where we want them.’ ”

Butler rallied to win, 14-10, for Morrell’s first national title.

This story was originally published October 3, 2015 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Kansas Sports Hall inductee: Troy Morrell."