LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Sometimes change happens quickly and that is exactly the case for the Aggie coaching staff. Friday afternoon, Head Coach Tony Sanchez announced Joe Morris, newly appointed defensive line coach, will be taking over as the program's next defensive coordinator immediately.
 
Morris arrived in Las Cruces last week and was introduced to the Aggie community as the defensive line coach on Tuesday, Jan. 9. Just four days later, Morris has been elevated and will be the defensive play caller for the Aggie defense in 2024. The move comes in response to the departure of now former defensive coordinator, Nate Dreiling.
 
The former Sam Houston defensive coordinator takes over a defensive unit that finished the 2023 season as the number one ranked scoring defense in all of Conference USA – allowing just 22.8 points per game, including giving up just 18.4 points per game in league play.
 
Following a season in which he guided a Bearkat defense which finished in the top half of the conference in total defense, scoring defense, rush defense and pass defense, Morris will be tasked with continuing the upward trajectory of an Aggie defense which has made tremendous improvements over the last two seasons. Across 2022 and 2023, NM State's defense allowed an average of 23.3 points and 367.4 yards per game. This is a huge leap from the previous four seasons in which Aggie defenses combined to allow 40.7 points and 481.7 yards per game.
 
With Morris on staff, the Bearkat defense allowed just 22.2 points and 362.8 yards per game. This includes a 2020-21 campaign in which Sam Houston claimed its first FCS national title in program history and did so with a defense that conceded just 19.6 points per game.
 
Morris will also bring unquestioned leadership as he has also been a head coach of two different programs for a total of three seasons. Morris was the head man at Fort Lewis in both 2017 and 2018 while also leading the New Mexico Highlands squad in 2010.
 
With the move, Morris becomes the fourth individual to hold the title of defensive coordinator at NM State in the last 10 seasons.