(Feb. 12, 2001) — Brent Pease, who joined the Kentucky coaching staff in January, will be the Wildcats offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, UK head coach Guy Morriss announced on February 12.
“I wanted a strong quarterbacks coach and an offensive coordinator who is familiar with our system and Brent is the right choice,” Morriss said. “Weve been sharing information with Brent the last two or three years when he came to visit us, so he knows our system and he brings some ideas of his own.
“As a former NFL player, Brent has a strong technical background. Hell be good for our young quarterbacks and he is the guy our quarterbacks wanted.”
Pease was hired on Jan. 15 as UKs quarterbacks and receivers coach. He was the assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach at Northern Arizona University in the 1999-2000 seasons, helping the Lumberjacks advance to the 1999 I-AA playoffs. Pease coached quarterback Travis Brown, who was the Offensive Player of the Game in the 1999 Blue-Gray All-Star Game.
Pease coached at the University of Montana from 1991-98. He was the offensive coordinator the last four seasons and alsocoached the quarterbacks (1994-98), running backs (1991-98), and wide receivers (1991-94). Montana was a fixture in the I-AAplayoffs each of his last six seasons. The Grizzlies won the 1995 national championship, were the runners-up in 1996, andsemi-finalists in 1994.
Peases quarterback in 95, David Dickenson, won the Walter Payton Award as the I-AA national player of the year and wasthe Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player from 1993-95. Dickensons successor, Brian Ah Yat, was a three-year finalist for theWalter Payton Award and played in the Hula Bowl. Montana quarterbacks won the conference offensive player of the year award infive of his eight seasons at the school. Pease also coached two All-America wide receivers.
Pease is an alumnus of Montana. After two seasons at Walla Walla (Wash.) City College, he played quarterback for theGrizzlies in 1985-86. He led the nation in total offense in 1986. After college, he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings and playedthree years for the Houston Oilers (1987-89). He also has playing experience in the Canadian Football League, the World Leagueof American Football, and the Arena Football League. In 1991, he was the first player selected in the inaugural WLAF draft by theBirmingham Fire.
“Im very grateful to Coach Morriss and excited about the challenge ahead of us as an offense and a team,” Pease said. “This isa great opportunity because there are a lot of experienced players coming back. The offensive system Ive been using is similar to theone here. Our offensive philosophy is not going to change.”
Cunningham Column Lauds Choice of Morriss: Ed Cunningham, a college football analyst for ABC Sports, wrote a column on UKs appointment of Guy Morriss as the next Kentucky head coach.
“…I do know what (Larry) Ivy has done to replace (Hal) Mumme is good for the program: Hiring Guy Morriss to be the new coach,” Cunningham wrote. “(After) the Kentucky faithful have time to look into who Guy Morriss is, they will realize that faced with a difficult situation, Larry Ivy made the best decision for the school and the football program. He has turned to a good man to lead the team into the 2001 season. Morriss will prove worthy of leading them into many more.”
