Former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Steve Morrison has joined the Indiana State football coaching staff as the Sycamores defensive coordinator, the university confirmed Thursday morning.
He replaces David Elson, who left after one season at ISU to take a defensive assistant coaching job at the University of Louisville. Louisville coach Jeff Brohm announced Elson’s hiring Tuesday.
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Sycamore coach Curt Mallory sees Morrison’s background as a plus. Mallory said Thursday that the 54-year-old Michigan native “brings such a wealth of knowledge and experience on the field. He is a sharp football mind and a great coach.”
Morrison’s experience as an assistant coach includes stints at Western Michigan from 2005-09, Eastern Michigan (2011-12), Syracuse (2012) and most recently Bowling Green (2019-24) under then-Falcons coach Scot Loeffler. He started his coaching career as the defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Brother Rice High School in Detroit.
Prior to coaching, Morrison played three seasons in the NFL with the Colts. He made the team as an undrafted free agent and wound up starting 31 games through his career. Morrison played on the Indianapolis team that reached the 1995 AFC Championship game — a heartbreaker 20-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Morrison joins a Sycamore coaching staff coming off records of 3-9 overall and 1-7 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference last season. Defensively, ISU finished 10th in the MVFC in total defense, yielding 497.8 yards per game and 39.6 points per game.
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Mallory said Morrison’s character will help the Sycamores, too.
“Steve is one of the best men, fathers, and husbands that I know. He will bring so much to the team on and off the field,” Mallory said. “[He] will be a great leader of men and continue to develop our young men in their lives outside of football.”
