FMU's Morley has different perspective as coach

FLORENCE -- As the Francis Marion men’s basketball team prepares for its trip to Europe to play in the Amsterdam Haarlem Basketball Classic, one member of the staff is getting a chance to participate in a way unavailable during his playing days.

One year removed from the end of his playing career, first-year Patriots assistant Nate Morley is sitting on the bench watching the action as his team has rolled off eight consecutive wins to start the season. Morley makes no secret that he prefers an FMU uniform over a suit.

“If you asked any coach, they would tell you they miss playing. I miss the competition,” he said. “I really don’t miss the conditioning, however.”

Coach on the court
In his two seasons at FMU after transferring from Highland Community College in Kansas, Morley played in 52 games with 21 starts.

While averaging 5.1 points per contest and pulling down 2.3 rebounds, Morley was best known for his ability to dial long distance. He connected on 40.1 percent of his 3-point attempts during his career, and that’s something he’s brought to the table as a coach as the Patriots have improved their perimeter shooting en route to their hot start.

“A big part of 3-point shooting is positioning,” said Morley, whose team has hit on 32 percent of its 3-point attempts this season. “My job is to teach a lot of the players how to position themselves so they catch the ball and shoot.”

Patriots coach Gary Edwards recruited Morley and said his former shooting guard has seamlessly brought his game into the coaching ranks.

“I don’t think there’s that much of a difference between Nate as a coach or a player,” he said. “Nate was similar to a coach on the floor when he played. He has a great work ethic.
“I like having guys on my staff who have been in the program as players.”

“He’s positive and driven about the game,” senior forward and former teammate Kevin Clark said. “He’s taken that into coaching because he loves the game so much.”

In the blood
One could almost say that Morley was born to coach.

His father Del was a coach at Northwest Missouri State, and he played under his brothers Mike and Ryan at Highland CC. So it wasn’t a great surprise when Morley decided to join them in the coaching ranks.

“Watching my dad coach made me want to coach,” he said. “My two oldest brothers are also coaches, and I learned a lot about basketball from them.”

“(Nate Morley) comes from a family of coaches, and you could see that in the way he played and the way he coaches,” Edwards said. “I have a lot of trust in him.”

Coaching teammates
The outside observer could easily think it might be a hard job coaching former teammates. Morley, however, has learned to balance his roles on the bench. There’s a time for fun and a time for work.
“There are times that we joke around with each other, but they know I am a coach now,” he said. “I was worried if they would listen to what I had to say but overall, it’s been fun.”
“I look at him as a coach. I don’t look at him any differently from anyone else,” Clark said. “When he tells us something, we do it.”

Knowing his role
Despite having to sit on the bench, Morley and Edwards know they have helped prepare their team for whatever obstacles come their way — in Amsterdam, Peach Belt conference play or elsewhere.
“Everybody on the team has a different role, and none are the same,” Edwards said. “(Morley’s) role is different now, but a vital one to what we’re doing.”
Nevertheless, there is a part that Morley misses about playing that will never leave.
“It was fun practicing and preparing for games as a player,” he said. “As a coach, you prepare with the team, but you have to sit back and let them take over.
“That’s the hardest part.”