ASHLAND, Va. – Head Coach Josh Merkel has announced the hire of Cole Morris as the Nunnally Assistant Coach on the Randolph-Macon Men's Basketball staff.

Morris arrives in Ashland with coaching experience spanning NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, and nationally recognized prep basketball programs. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for player development, recruiting success, academic support, and cultivating strong team cultures.

"Cole impressed me from the second I met him," said Merkel. "He looks forward to hard work and attracting the type of young men the college can be proud of. His willingness to do whatever it takes to help young men and the program succeed stands out.  He is a relentless worker and will build great relationships as he strives to help our players and program improve!"

Most recently, Morris served as an assistant coach at former Old Dominion Athletic Conference member Ferrum College, where he was responsible for recruiting, player development, scouting, film breakdown, and individual skill instruction. Prior to Ferrum, he spent a season at NAIA the University of Tennessee Southern. 

Morris also held assistant coaching positions at Coker University and Wentworth Institute of Technology. At Wentworth, he helped the program achieve the fourth best season in program history. In his time at Coker, he helped guide the team to the most conference wins in school history and helped form one of the best offensives in all of division II. Earlier in his career, Morris worked with the nationally recognized DME Academy in Florida.

A proven recruiter, Morris has successfully recruited and retained student-athletes across multiple collegiate levels and throughout numerous regions of the country. His recruiting experience spans Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida, New York, and Maine.

In addition to his recruiting background, Morris has extensive experience in player development, creating individualized workout programs, skill-development systems, and performance-tracking methods designed to maximize student-athlete growth on and off the court.

"I am honored and excited to join the Randolph-Macon men's basketball program," said Morris. "I want to thank Coach Josh Merkel and the administration for this opportunity. Randolph-Macon's tradition, culture, and commitment to excellence make it one of the premier programs in Division III basketball, and I'm eager to get to work helping our student-athletes and contributing to the program's continued success."

Morris earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Penn State University-DuBois, where he was a three-year starter and team captain for the Lions basketball program.