| Wins against Kentucky - 1 | Losses against Kentucky - 0 |
Alma Mater: Vanderbilt [1911]
Hometown: McKenzie, TN
Date Born: February 28, 1885
Date Died: November 19, 1982
Overall Record: 8-2 [1 Seasons]
| Date | Matchup | UK Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/14/1919 | Vanderbilt at Kentucky | L | 26 - 36 | - |
Obituary - The Tennessean (November 20, 1982)
Ex-Vandy Coach Ray Morrison Succumbs in Florida at Age 97
Ray Morrison, 97, a member of the National Football Hall of Fame and a former Vanderbilt quarterback and head coach, died yesterday at the home of his son, Jack Morrison, in Miami Springs, Fla.
Morrison, who earned All-America status as Vanderbilt's senior quarterback in 1911, was named to succeed the late Dan McGugin as coach of the Commodores in 1935.
Considered one of the more graceful runners and resourceful players in Vanderbilt history, Morrison returned to his alma mater after having established coaching credentials with his 'aerial circus' passing attack at Southern Methodist University (1922-1934).
Leaving Vanderbilt at the conclusion of the 1939 season, Morrison continued coaching at Temple University in Philadelphia and later at Austin College in Texas.
Morrison's Vanderbilt team of 1937 figured in two of southern college football's most famous moments. The Commodores defeated LSU, 7-6, by employing a hidden play and later, on Thanksgiving Day, Vanderbilt missed a trip to the Rose Bowl when Alabama kicked a field goal to win, 9-7.
Two of his Commodore players, end Willie Geny (1935) and center Carl Hinkle (1937) earned All-America selection, and Hinkle is also a member of the National Football Hall of Fame.
Morrison frequently returned to Vanderbilt homecoming games, but last month his son, Jack, had old Nashville friends that his father's health would prevent him from returning this fall. He had been ill after a stroke last spring.
On one of his homecoming visits, Coach Morrison was asked to pin-point his most cherished moment in football. He replied:
"When I was chosen to succeed Coach McGugin at Vanderbilt."
McGugin had directed the Commodores for 30 seasons, during which time Vanderbilt football enjoyed its golden years. Morrison had been one of McGugin's early stars, coming to Nashville from his home in McKenzie, Tenn.
At SMU, Morrison had three teams win the Southwest Conference championship. After retiring from coaching he lived in Dallas where he continued to work in the president's office at SMU.
He served on numerous national coaching committees and was considered an authority on football rules.
In addition to his son Jack, Morrison is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Fred Hamilton of Nashville and Mrs. Joseph Benson of Abilene, Texas. While coaching at Vanderbilt, he was a member of the West End Methodist Church.
There will be no public funeral. His body will be cremated.
