Morrissey’s the Man at Prairie

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Mike Morrissey grew up in a suburban school in Eastern Iowa.

So in a sense, he's coming home.

"It kind of feels that way," Morrissey said Wednesday after he was named the head varsity football coach at Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Morrissey, 28, emerged from a list of more than 40 applicants. Source Media Group was the first to mention his name as a candidate and likely successor to the retiring Craig Jelinek early last week.

"The first thing I noticed when we visited him was the way he connects with kids," said Rocky Bennett, Prairie athletics director. "The way he walked in the hallways, he has great rapport with kids -- not only on the athletic side, but also on a personal level."

"I like to think I'm a positive, energetic guy," Morrissey said. "I think I can find something good in every guy I coach."

Morrissey will conclude the school year at Dolton (Ill.) Thornridge High School, where he coached last season.

Thornridge will be a freshman-only academy starting in the fall, but will field varsity sports for another year. Morrissey resigned from his coaching position there Tuesday, and the school is in the position of hiring a coach for one year.

Morrissey is the son of former Pleasant Valley coach Ed Morrissey. He graduated from PV in 2001, from Upper Iowa University in 2006. He played quarterback on the UIU football team.

Prior to Thornridge, Morrissey served as a graduate assistant at Rockford College and St. Cloud State University and was an assistant coach for Upper Iowa.

He met his wife, Jessica at Upper Iowa. The couple has a 15-month daughter, Brooke, and another child is on the way.

At Prairie, he faces a rebuilding chore. The Hawks were 2-7 in Jelinek's final year.

"The first thing I want to do is contact the coaches of the feeder programs," Morrissey said. "Then I want to build my coaching staff, see who wants to stick around."

Thornridge has spring break in two weeks, and Morrissey plans to spend some of that week meeting his new players.

He will teach at the high school, but his position has not been announced.