GARY MORRISON THRU THE YEARS AT OLIVET COLLEGE [PHOTO GALLERY]

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College athletic department is mourning the death of legendary coach Gary Morrison, who passed away at the age of 86 on January 3, 2021.

A permanent fixture at Olivet for more than 40 years, Morrison served as the head men's golf coach from 1975-2010. During those 35 years, the Comets captured 17 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championships and competed at eight National Collegiate Athletic Association National Championships, finishing as high as seventh in 1998. Morrison left his mark as the winningest golf coach in MIAA history. In addition, he coached 41 golfers who earned 81 All-MIAA awards, six NCAA All-Americans and nine Scholar All-Americans.

Morrison came to the Olivet campus in September 1967 to serve as head men's basketball coach and physical education professor. After the 1996-97 season, he retired from coaching basketball. During his 30-year tenure, Morrison coached three MIAA championship teams and won 294 games. He had 18 All-MIAA performers who received 26 total All-MIAA awards.

Morrison also served as the Comets' head baseball coach from 1971-86, compiling 166 wins and an MIAA championship in 1981. Twenty-one of his players earned 28 All-MIAA awards.

With his 21 total conference titles, Morrison is one of 11 coaches in MIAA history to win more than 20 championships. In addition, he has won 21 of the 80 MIAA championships in Olivet history.

Morrison, a 1994 inductee into the Olivet College Athletic Hall of Fame, graduated from Kalamazoo College with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1957. While there, he was a five-time All-MIAA selection and earned 10 total varsity letters – four in basketball, three in baseball and three in track. Morrison later earned a master's degree in secondary education from Western Michigan University in 1965.

Morrison is survived by his wife, Judy '70, and four children, Scott '82, Randy '85, Gary ex'87 and Heather '93, as well as 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

ONLINE OBITUARY courtesy of Burkhead-Green-Kilgo Funeral Home.

A Celebration of Life will take place Saturday, January 16, at 1 p.m. Alumni and friends are invited to take part in the virtual event hosted by Olivet College at https://olivetcollege.zoom.us/j/2604372638.

Please use the form below to leave a memory/tribute to Coach Morrison. We will then compile them and post them on our website at www.olivetcomets.com/morrison_memorial.