Prep Hockey Coach and member of the Class of 1977, Mark Morris, honored the Northwood community by delivering this year’s Commencement address.
Prior to Mark's remarks, Head of School, Mike Maher, provided the following introduction:
(click here to view Coach Morris’s address.)
“Four decades and five levels from Northwood to the NHL, Mark Morris has been one of hockey’s best teachers. He is the only coach to win over three hundred games as a head coach in both collegiate and professional leagues. He won another 150 in just four years at Northwood. But aside from that stint in the NHL, his focus has been on readying his players for the next level. His 2006 Northwood team was the first ever here to win 40 games, but more importantly its members took what they learned from Mark and went on to great careers at North Dakota, BC, Colby, Oswego, Union, St. Lawrence, Skidmore, West Point, Fredonia, and others. When Mark was appointed head coach here for the second time, James Moscatello, one of that group, wrote to us about Mark, “While playing for him was great, I know that today I am a better, father, son, and person because he was my coach.” That observation speaks volumes about Mark’s ability to inspire loyalty, unselfishness, and commitment.
Before attending Colgate, Mark took a post graduate year here. A strong student and a superb athlete, he quarterbacked our football team to an undefeated season and captained one of the top prep hockey squads in the country. Reno was a teacher-coach here then and says “We could not have found a better leader for our teams that year. His commitment to excellence in everything he undertook hasn’t wavered since then. Over the years he has coached many of our graduates at the college level; three were among his captains at Clarkson. He is a superb motivator and molder of young men.” I am proud to present a teacher who has dedicated his life to building the skills and character of generations of athletes – Mark Morris.”