Oklahoma State football coach Eric Morris has admitted to shooting and killing an armadillo in his yard at 2:30am after finding the animal destroying his lawn and flower beds.
Morris, who was hired to revive the struggling Oklahoma State Cowboys football program in Stillwater, described the overnight encounter during a news conference with reporters this week.
"My brain's going constantly and so... I don't sleep very well," Morris said on Tuesday. "I've had a couple of armadillo problems tearing up my lawn. Finally, a couple of days ago I just popped up at 2:30am because I couldn't sleep and I thought it was a great opportunity for me to go outside and luckily I found him."
The late-night confrontation was the first time Morris had encountered an armadillo. He explained that the creature "was crushing my yard, my flower beds, digging everything up" before he took action.
His quick response gave a literal meaning to "Pistols Firing," the famous slogan and hand gesture used by Oklahoma State athletic teams and supporters.
After dispatching the animal, Morris felt obligated to notify nearby residents about the middle-of-the-night gunshot. "Had to send a text message to my neighbors," Morris said. "I apologized for the gunshot. I am in the country, so it was legal. But I did get rid of him."
Oklahoma State program rebuild
Morris takes over an Oklahoma State program seeking a swift turnaround following a difficult 1-11 campaign last season. The Cowboys are scheduled to open their 2026 season on September 5 against Tulsa.
Morris was appointed to replace Mike Gundy, the longtime Cowboys head coach who was dismissed last September. Before taking the job in Stillwater, Morris spent three seasons as head coach at the University of North Texas, compiling a 22-16 record.
Quarterback coaching background
Throughout his coaching career, Morris has earned a reputation for identifying and developing high-caliber quarterbacks. He has coached, developed, or recruited several notable players, including Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, John Mateer, Cam Ward, Chandler Morris, and Drew Mestemaker.
During his first head coaching role at Football Championship Subdivision program Incarnate Word, Morris coached Ward, who eventually became the top overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
Morris played receiver at Texas Tech University under the late head coach Mike Leach before entering the coaching ranks. In 2012, he joined Leach's staff at Washington State University as an assistant. He returned to Texas Tech the following year as offensive coordinator, a role he held throughout Mahomes's three seasons with the Red Raiders.
