Gov. Mifflin football coach Nick Morrissey

Nick Morrissey will always remember the moment he told the Gov. Mifflin football players that he would be their next head coach.  "I got tackled by about 70 kids which was probably the highlight of the last 16 years of coaching," Morrissey told Paul Roberts of SV Sports.  The Muhlenberg High School and Albright College grad has been on the Mustangs' coaching staff since 2015.  He served as the OL/DL coach before becoming the defensive coordinator in 2021.  Morrissey worked closely with PSFCA Hall of Fame member Mick Vecchio and Jeff Lang.  Vecchio led Gov. Mifflin to a school record 181 wins over 26 years.  Lang was the Mustangs' head coach for the past seven seasons.  He went (51-26) and brought home Gov. Mifflin's first District 3 football championship in 2020.  "Team always came first with them. It was all about the kids, it was all about the community. It was never about an individual," said Morrissey.  He was an all-county guard in high school and played for Muhlenberg legend John Yocum.  "Coach Yocum was a player's coach before that was a thing...Everybody wanted to play for Coach Yocum. He always made you want to run through a brick wall for him," replied Morrissey.  After graduating from Albright in 2008, Morrissey became an assistant coach for the Muhls until 2014.  He then joined the staff in Shillington.  The Mustangs' streak of 18 consecutive winning seasons ended in 2022 when they finished (3-7).  They ended up (5-6) last year and fell to Pleasant Valley 28-19 in the Eastern Conference championship.  Morrissey stressed that Gov. Mifflin will continue to run the Midline/Veer offense.  "That's not changing. Coach Vecchio and Coach Lang would be showing up to my house if it would be changing...That's our brand. That's our identity. It's who we are," emphasized Morrissey.  He made a trip to Atlanta to see former Gov. Mifflin star running back Nick Singleton play for Penn State in the Peach Bowl.  Singleton set Berks County career records with 6,326 rushing yards and 116 touchdowns.  "Nick always put Gov. Mifflin first. In four years here, he never missed one summer workout," noted Morrissey.  The 39-year-old is excited to work in the new Gov. Mifflin Athletic Community Center.  "It feels like we're in a college. It's top-notch," said Morrissey.