SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (AP) Dwayne Morton has resigned as an assistant basketball coach at Seton Hall.
Coach Kevin Willard announced the resignation Monday, saying Morton intends to return to a teaching job.
“I want to thank Dwayne for his contributions to our program over the last year,” Willard said. “He is a terrific coach and mentor for student-athletes, and I understand that he feels his calling is back in teaching. I wish him all the best as he pursues his dream job.”
“I had a great experience at Seton Hall working with Coach Willard, my fellow assistant coaches and our student-athletes, but my passion for teaching is strong, and I feel that is where I should be,” Morton said. “I wish Seton Hall all the best and am excited to watch the program continue its rise.”
Prior to coming to Seton Hall last year, Morton was a math teacher at Shirley Tanyhill School and was the head boys' basketball coach at Lincoln High School, both in New York City.
According to the Seton Hall website:
Morton spent the last 20 years on the Lincoln bench, serving as an assistant in his first season when he helped guide the Railsplitters to the 1995 New York State Class A championship. He was promoted to Lincoln's head coach the following season and went on to win the Federation title again in 2003, 2007 and 2008, while making additional championship game appearances in 2004 and 2006. Morton was tabbed PSAL Coach of the Year four times (2003, 2006, 2007, 2008), and took Brooklyn Coach of the Year honors four times as well (2002, 2003, 2008, 2009).
Morton coached Lincoln to its most recent PSAL `AA' Championship in 2013, the program's first since winning an unprecedented four straight crowns from 2006-2009 and seven over an eight year stretch (2002, 2003, 2004). During his tenure, the Railsplitters had a stronghold on the PSAL Brooklyn AA Division. Lincoln registered a perfect 16-0 league mark last season and won 31 of its 32 conference games the last two years. He amassed over 350 wins against PSAL competition and nearly 500 overall with the Railsplitters.
In his time at Lincoln, Morton coached New York City basketball stars Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson, along with Jamel Thomas who also enjoyed a lengthy NBA career. Several Railsplitters went on to earn Division I basketball scholarships under Morton, including incoming Pirate freshmen Isaiah Whitehead and Desi Rodriguez. Whitehead became the fourth player Morton coached at Lincoln to garner McDonald's All American honors, joining Marbury, Telfair and Stephenson.
An All-New York City point guard at Lincoln from 1985-88 for Bobby Hartstein, Morton helped lead the Railsplitters in their run to the 1986 PSAL Class A championship and advance to the New York State title game. He lettered two years at LIU Brooklyn from 1991-93 under long-time head coach Paul Lizzo after playing his first two collegiate seasons at Central Connecticut State University and Westchester Community College. Morton earned a bachelor's of science degree in business administration in 1993 and master's degree in school counseling in 1998 from LIU Brooklyn.
Coach Kevin Willard announced the resignation Monday, saying Morton intends to return to a teaching job.
“I want to thank Dwayne for his contributions to our program over the last year,” Willard said. “He is a terrific coach and mentor for student-athletes, and I understand that he feels his calling is back in teaching. I wish him all the best as he pursues his dream job.”
“I had a great experience at Seton Hall working with Coach Willard, my fellow assistant coaches and our student-athletes, but my passion for teaching is strong, and I feel that is where I should be,” Morton said. “I wish Seton Hall all the best and am excited to watch the program continue its rise.”
Prior to coming to Seton Hall last year, Morton was a math teacher at Shirley Tanyhill School and was the head boys' basketball coach at Lincoln High School, both in New York City.
According to the Seton Hall website:
Morton spent the last 20 years on the Lincoln bench, serving as an assistant in his first season when he helped guide the Railsplitters to the 1995 New York State Class A championship. He was promoted to Lincoln's head coach the following season and went on to win the Federation title again in 2003, 2007 and 2008, while making additional championship game appearances in 2004 and 2006. Morton was tabbed PSAL Coach of the Year four times (2003, 2006, 2007, 2008), and took Brooklyn Coach of the Year honors four times as well (2002, 2003, 2008, 2009).
Morton coached Lincoln to its most recent PSAL `AA' Championship in 2013, the program's first since winning an unprecedented four straight crowns from 2006-2009 and seven over an eight year stretch (2002, 2003, 2004). During his tenure, the Railsplitters had a stronghold on the PSAL Brooklyn AA Division. Lincoln registered a perfect 16-0 league mark last season and won 31 of its 32 conference games the last two years. He amassed over 350 wins against PSAL competition and nearly 500 overall with the Railsplitters.
In his time at Lincoln, Morton coached New York City basketball stars Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson, along with Jamel Thomas who also enjoyed a lengthy NBA career. Several Railsplitters went on to earn Division I basketball scholarships under Morton, including incoming Pirate freshmen Isaiah Whitehead and Desi Rodriguez. Whitehead became the fourth player Morton coached at Lincoln to garner McDonald's All American honors, joining Marbury, Telfair and Stephenson.
An All-New York City point guard at Lincoln from 1985-88 for Bobby Hartstein, Morton helped lead the Railsplitters in their run to the 1986 PSAL Class A championship and advance to the New York State title game. He lettered two years at LIU Brooklyn from 1991-93 under long-time head coach Paul Lizzo after playing his first two collegiate seasons at Central Connecticut State University and Westchester Community College. Morton earned a bachelor's of science degree in business administration in 1993 and master's degree in school counseling in 1998 from LIU Brooklyn.
Last edited:
