Honoring Stacy Morgan

Remembering STacy Morgan

By Deenie Bulyalert

As most of us know, Mr. Morgan, known by some as Stacy Morgan, passed away not too long ago. In the difficult times we have been having already, this loss definitely put more weight on a lot of people's shoulders. To those who didn't know Mr. Morgan, he played many roles at Grants Pass High School. He taught P.E, coached a plethora of sports, and was the Dean of Students before he retired last year. To those who did know Mr. Morgan, we hope that you can read this article and cherish Mr. Morgan's permanent impact. We know that his story will be told for many years coming. We hope that you keep pictures and quotes and memories that you were once given by him and tell your future students, and future people you meet, how much one person is able to do so much. Most importantly, we hope you take and keep something incredible from the life he lived and the spot he holds in your heart.

COACH Photo Credit: Jodi Hood (all other photos taken from HPHS Yearbooks)

Teacher Responses

Who Was Mr. Morgan?

Mr. Morgan was a lot of things to the people around him. He was a teacher, a father, a grandfather. He was a coach and the Dean of Students but, most importantly, he was a mentor and a friend. Those who knew him knew of his amazing heart.

Stacy was a good friend and fellow coach and teacher.
Mr. Morgan was the Dean of Students at GPHS and so he and I worked together every day from 2013 until he retired in 2020. He was also a very close friend, mentor, teammate and golfing buddy.
He was my teacher when he taught PE back in 2001-2005 and also a friend/coworker.
Morgan was a colleague, mentor, coach, and friend.
Mr. Morgan was many things to me. He was a coach, a coworker and a friend. He was also a great friend to my parents. He was an amazing friend, father, husband, and grandfather. He was a foundational part of my high school experience and an important part of my life at GPHS as a teacher. His loss is devastating.
He was a co-worker that always had a friendly greeting whenever we crossed paths. My role as district nurse meant I was not at the high school often—once a week or so. His kind words really meant a lot to me.

He was what a teacher is supposed to be. Loved kids, his fellow staff members and he love being a Caveman.
Quite a bit. As he has coached and taught with my father, I grew up hanging out with Mr. Morgan and his family. Him and my father both taught me what it meant to be a Caveman. What it meant to short-cut the easiest of steps. What it meant to try for my hardest.
Mr. Morgan was someone that I could totally trust with anything. He always had my back and I had his. We were an amazing work partnership and had a great personal friendship.
He was a great teacher but, most importantly, he was an all-around great guy!
Mr. Morgan was one of those people that really commands respect. He was a very kind and honest man. He’s someone that you just always imagine will be around. He embodies everything that WE ARE GP stands for. It was an honor to make his retirement video and hear stories about him from so many coworkers.

What Did He Mean To You?

We meet so many people in our lives. Each person mean something to us. Mr. Morgan was no exception. People who knew him for years and those who knew him for not very long all knew him as the kind hearted coach, the definition of a good teacher, and such an amazing human being.

What’s The Most Impactful Thing He Did That Sticks Out Most?

So many of us wish to spend our time on this earth making an impact and that is exactly what Morgan did. He spent his time changing the lives of those around us. He engrained memories and moments into a lot of our heads. He did so much for so many. Even the many little things that he did somehow became big things that stick out to us the most.

He was able to make a positive difference in many, many young men and women. We are all better people for having known Stacy.
The one thing that was the most impactful to me and probably the sole reason for this accomplishment was the fact that he cut me from the baseball team my freshman year. Yes, of course Frosh Baseball was cut that year and in order to make the team you had to make either Varsity or JV. But it was the best thing for me. As I was able to train for wrestling for more than 5-6 months out of the year to 9-10 months out of the year. That helped me to become a state champion by my senior year.
Mr. Morgan always did the right thing. Like all of us he made mistakes but, what stands out to me, was his constant drive to do the right, honest and ethical thing. He did not just talk about it, he lived his whole life that way.
He never sugar-coated anything and was genuine. He just said it how it was and that's what made him so cool.
It makes me tear up thinking about it. My parents live in Alaska. They have been friends with Mr. Morgan and Mrs. Morgan for many years. My parents will often fly into town late at night or will leave town early in the morning. When my parents left after Christmas, on December 27^th, I offered to take them to the airport at 2am. They said Stacy really wanted to do it because “that’s what friends are for.” He really loved to serve other people in any way he could.
Mr. Morgan was service-oriented. He believed in helping others above all else. One of his favorite quotes was, “It’s not about you!”

After a victory or any special that involved GPHS he would say, “It’s good to be a Caveman!”
Find a way to get the kids involved. Even for a play or a minute. They will remember that forever.
Of course, the greatest "Are you kidding me!" or "Oh my gosh!"
He always talked about leading by example. Do the right thing and people will follow you. Even if you make mistakes or get knocked down, you get back up and keep going. “The Road To Success Is Always Under Construction” was his signature on his emails.
He said to me that he was PROUD of the person I had grown up to be and that my parents raised myself and my sibling right!
“Are you kidding me?”
“What are you doing?”

Is There Any Phrase, Quote, Or Advice That He Told You That You Will Cherish Forever?

Mr. Morgan was an unbelievably proud Caveman. He led by example and a good example he was. He wanted people to succeed in any way they could and I'm sure, if he were still around, we would hear a lot more of "Are you kidding me?" Stacy Morgan's nature was to help guide people to where they should go and help them follow the road to success, even though it was hard to navigate, since it was always under construction.

What Is Something You’re Going To Miss Most About Him?

Although he may have always been quite loud, it never took away from the fact that he was such an amazing human. He gave us the laughs that were long overdue, the advice we needed, and the wisdom that we probably didn't deserve. He gave us himself and, because of that, life was okay when he was around.

I will miss his loud, booming voice, his laugh, and his sense of humor. I will miss his sense of duty and always doing the right thing, even when it is hard.
I’m going to miss his constant presence and willingness to help other people. Whether it was taking my parents to the airport or helping my uncle build a pool, or just going golfing.
His laugh, His voice, HIM!!
I am going to miss his wisdom and his genuineness. He was the real deal and was not afraid to say what needed to be said but he would always do it in a way that was constructive.
His amazing whole-hearted nature about life
His presence. Everything was ok when he was still with us.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen Coach Morgan walking off the practice field with his arm around one of his ball players. You just knew he was giving that player some words of wisdom.
It did not matter if the kid was one of the worst academically and/or social students in the class, he honestly believed there was good in every student.
There are too many to count. He was able to connect with kids and hold them accountable in a way that helped them to learn and grow. They loved him because he was straight with them and told them the truth but in a way built them up.
He had advice for days with ALL students!
When we were filming Morgan Mondays, he always loved when our kids would just walk in and start filming him. He just lit up when kids walked in.
Mr. Morgan knew everyone’s name! He would yell out student names in the hallway to provoke a reaction and get them to smile. He loved being around students.

What Is The Most Memorable Student/Teacher Interaction You Remember Seeing Between Him And Another Student?

With all of his days he spent around students, he never got tired of being around them. He gave advice, he believed in all of us, he guided us in the right direction, and he knew his students, who they were and who they could be.

Is There Anything You Wish You Could Voice To Him If You Got One Last Chance To Talk To Him?

I think he knew it, because I reminded him- but I would tell him again that I appreciate him, respect him, and love him.
The last time I saw Stacy I was walking down the street with my fiancée and he drove by, honked, and waved. I didn’t realize that my wave would end up being my goodbye. If I could talk to him again, I would tell him how much he meant to me, to my family, and to his own family. And I know that he knew that, but I would still love to tell him so he knows how much he is missed here.
That I appreciated having met him
I just want him to know how much I appreciate our friendship, his leadership and what an amazing role model he was for me as a teacher, as a husband, a father, friend and teammate. He was the best!
I’d tell him I loved him very much.

Student responses

I met Mr. Morgan the summer of 9th grade for my summer football practices. He was the head coach for my freshman football team.
I met him summer going into 9th grade. He was my football coach.
He was my Freshman Football Coach
I met Mr. Morgan in 2019 at the beginning of Freshman football
I know Mr. Morgan from baseball. I first met him last year.
He was my coach for Freshman football and my dad coached with him.
Mr. Morgan was my freshman football coach and I met him summer of 2019 for Freshman football.

How do you know Mr. Morgan? When Did You First Meet Him?

Who Was Mr. Morgan To You?

Mr. Morgan was not only a coach but a mentor. He told me to push through. He brought the team together, he made a family.
Mr. Morgan was a baseball coach for me because I never got to know him in the office or anywhere else.
Mr. Morgan was a great coach, person, and role model.
A coach, role model, and most importantly a friend.
He was like the cool coach who you can always count on and talk to, and if you needed help he was there, and he would try and help you in whatever way he knew how.
A leader and mentor.

At first, I thought that he’d be a grumple coach but, over time, he helped a lot with improvements and my confidence overall.
My view of Morgan was always the same. He was always the stubborn old man. However, I should’ve realized he was an amazing coach and mentor.
I respected him more over time.
Yes, at first I thought he was going to be strict but once I got to know him he was really chill and he would only be strict on occasion.
At first I viewed him as the ruder type. I thought he was going to be a mean coach based on the start, but my view changed to him actually being my most favorite football coach. He was the first coach who I felt notice me, and I actually felt more motivated, and I felt like an overall better person as I grew to know him more. He pushed me to my potential and looked at me and everyone else with promise, as if he could see everyone as the potential that they could be not how they were at the moment.
He was a tough coach but taught me lots. He was my favorite coach.

Did Your View Of Him Change Over Time? If so, How?

How Did He Make You Grow As An Athlete?

He helped me grow mentally with processing plays faster and reacting to make a different outcome.
Morgan made me realize that I have to work for what I want to achieve in life. I can rely on my brothers for anything, and that a team is more than just a team but a family bond. He made me realize that things are very hard, so I have to be tougher.
He helped me become more fluent in my positions on the field.
He made sure I was always doing the best I could and he made sure I was the best person I could be.
He made me realize that I am much better than I thought I was. I always thought that I could never be good at sports, and no matter how hard I tried, I was just going to be last string on everything, and the least likely to play. But he made me realize that I have the potential to make myself better, and that I can achieve what I actually want to achieve, and not just settle for what I think I can get.
He taught me to believe in myself.

He yelled at us, but he brought us closer together.
Honestly, the most impactful thing Morgan did to me was everything. When he got mad at us and told us to sprint, when he would yell for messing up, but in the end it was to make us better football players.
He taught us not just how to be better football players and athletes, but also how to be a better person.
It's hard to say, exactly, because I feel like there was a lot. But I think it's what he said before and after a game, “Win with class, lose with class.” I felt like there was more meaning to that then just to be respectful whether you lost or not, even if the game was unfair. I feel like that was a life lesson almost, because you can apply that almost everywhere in life, every challenge you face. No matter how good or bad it is, you shouldn't let it get to you too much. If you lose, don't fit, make yourself better and win next time and if you win don't get too cocky because you have more to come.
He pushed myself and others to be the best athlete we could be on the field and off the field.

What is The Most Impactful Thing He Did That Sticks Out To You?

Is There Any Phrase, Quote, Or Advice That He Told You That You Will Cherish Forever?

He told us something like: “Make sure you know what you want before you do something about it.”
One quote he always said to me was “Hang, if you mess up again I’m gonna fire you” and it always stuck with me every practice.
One time before a game he said, “GP stands for good people don't stoop yourself down to anyone else's level you're better than that.” Or when I’d mess up a football drill I'd apologize and he’d say, ”Don’t be sorry, fix it.” Those are my two and I know by these quotes that he just wanted me to be the best person I could be.
At the end of the season, he told me that I was varsity level kickoff, and that he loved seeing me out on the field because I would just throw myself out there and run through everyone. He told me he can't wait to see me play next year.
He never hesitated to point out weaknesses. It’s a hard thing to do, but he always offset a negative with a positive. I will remember that forever and hope to carry that trait on with me.

His commentary during practice.
The thing I’m going to miss the most about him is his analogies, he always compared situations on the field to ones in real life, it made me realize a lot of things.
I am going to miss saying hi to him in the hallway everyday
Him as a whole his personality and his character, both more valuable than money itself
I am going to miss everything, really. He was a great person, and he always brought out the best in people. He brought out the best in me, that was the best season of my life, and I was injured the whole season but tried to make nobody know.
His voice and him yelling “Davis.”

What Is Something You’re Going To Miss Most About Him?

What Is The Most Memorable Interaction You Had With Him?

We were practicing bunting and he had me show the rest of our group what it was that he wanted, he did so by making fun of me (in a good way).
The most memorable interaction I had with Morgan was when he told our team that this summer we were gonna be closer with him and the team then our own families, we had to work together, and we could depend on each other. He made it happen.
The most memorable moment I had was when one of our players during practice was hit in the groin with a football on accident and Morgan asked how he got hit since it was such a small target.
Every time he would call me “Alabama.” The reason behind it is because my last name is the capital there. One time he called me “Big o’l country devil,” I always loved the nicknames he gave me, or when I'd stop by his office during lunch just to hangout and talk with him about random stuff.
When I had one of my best practices, and he put me as one of the team captains for the next game. He told me that I had one hell of a practice and that I earned it. That got to me personally because before high school, no matter how hard I tried, it was always the star players that got captain, the coaches never noticed me, and only played me if it was absolutely necessary.
Just the whole Freshman season and now knowing it was his last season to coach has a special place in my heart

Did you enjoy being with us? That’s what I’d ask him.
If I could say one last thing to Morgan I would tell him that I didn’t get fired and I would thank him for being my coach.
Thanks for being my coach.
I'd tell him what a good friend he is. I'd tell him what he means to me. I'd let him know that I love him. I'd tell him that I miss him very much and that I'm grateful for the time I got to spend with him, every last second of it.
Yeah, definitely. I wish I could tell him sorry that I didn't try and play this year, I feel like I let him down with not joining the team this year because he told me that he wanted to see me play. And I also want to tell him thank you, because he helped make me the person I am today, and he made me grow as a person and an athlete.
Thank you!

Is There Anything You Wish You Could Voice To Him If You Got One Last Chance To Talk To Him?

A Note on Grief: If you're struggling, or if you're feeling lost because we lost another amazing soul, please find someone to talk to. If you are a student who needs help of any kind, please contact our mental health counselor (kstuart@grantspass.k12.or.us) and if you are a teacher, please know that you deserve to feel whatever you may be feeling. Please talk to someone. No student or teacher, not anyone, deserves to feel like they are fighting a battle by themselves. You are deserving of anything and everything good in this world.

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