| BERKELEY – Stan Morrison, a member of Pete Newell's teams while an undergraduate at Cal who went on to a long career in college athletics, is the recipient of the 2016-17 Pete Newell Career Achievement Award. The presentation will take place during halftime of Cal's home game against Stanford on Jan. 29 at Haas Pavilion in the seventh annual Pete Newell Classic. The contest honors the legacy of Cal's Hall of Fame basketball coach and the contributions Newell made to University of California basketball. The Career Achievement Award is presented to a Cal men's basketball alumnus who has distinguished himself in his career accomplishments, upholding the highest ideals of Coach Newell and the University of California. "I was absolutely stunned because any time your name is in the same sentence with Pete Newell's, you've just been honored," Morrison said. "I've had some wonderful, amazing, incredible things happen in my life and this would be up at the top of the list." Morrison joined the Bears as a 6-7 forward out of Bellflower, playing on the Cal freshman team in 1957-58, before moving up to the varsity the following season. The Bears won the NCAA title his sophomore year and advanced to the national championship game the following season. As a senior in 1960-61 playing for Rene Herrerias after Newell's retirement, Morrison ranked second on the squad in both scoring (10.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.3 rpg). Playing professionally in 1962, he was named a European All-Star with Real Madrid of Spain, helping the team to a runner-up finish at the European championships. Following his playing career, Morrison returned to Cal as a graduate assistant and began his long career in coaching and athletic administration. He served has head coach at Pacific from 1972-79, leading the Tigers to a conference title and an NCAA Tournament berth his final season. Morrison moved to USC as head coach from 1979-86, and in his seven seasons with the Trojans, USC advanced to the NCAA Tournament twice and claimed a share of the Pac-10 title in 1985. Morrison was appointed Director of Athletics at UC Santa Barbara in 1986, overseeing a 21-sport program and serving as a member of the NCAA Women's Basketball Committee. He returned to coaching in 1989 at San Jose State, remaining there through 1998. In 1994, the Spartans earned a Big West co-championship, won the Big West Tournament crown and reached the NCAA Tournament, giving Morrison the distinction of guiding three different teams from the same state into the NCAA field. Morrison served as AD at UC Riverside for 12 years from 1999-2011 and led the Highlanders transition from NCAA Division II to Division I. He was appointed to the NCAA Men's Basketball Committee in 2006. Morrison currently serves as senior vice president for Pacific Premier Bank in Southern California. Outside of athletics, Morrison has served the past 28 years as chairman of the board for High Five America, which is based in San Diego and uses basketball as a vehicle to combat gang violence, and drug and alcohol abuse issues. In addition, he is a member of the board of trustees for Olive Crest, which offers group homes for abused teenagers, and is on the executive board for the Inland Empire Boy Scouts of America. Morrison is also a board member for several other non-profit organizations, including the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center; ARC Riverside, which serves adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities; and The Unforgettables, which provides dignified burials for children from poverty stricken homes. "There is nothing more rewarding than helping people you will never meet or see and can do nothing for you," Morrison said. "I've been so privileged to have people help me that the rewards for what I do with these organizations, when my head hits the pillow at night, I have a great feeling about a level of accomplishment." Among the many awards Morrison has received are the Distinguished Citizen of the Year, the Spirit of Light Award and the city of Riverside's Arts Council Celebration Award. About Pete Newell Pete Newell served as Cal's basketball coach from 1954-60, guiding the Bears to the 1959 NCAA Championship and a national runner-up finish in 1960, the same season he was voted the national coach of the year. Cal also reached the NCAA regional final in 1957 and '58 under his leadership. Overall, he led the Bears to four consecutive conference titles (1957-60) while compiling a 119-44 record. Newell coached the 1960 U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal at the Rome Olympics and later served as Cal's Director of Athletics from 1960-68. Newell was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a year later. The entire 1960 Olympic team, which included former Golden Bear Darrall Imhoff in addition to Newell as head coach, was enshrined into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2010. Newell also earned entry into the FIBA International Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. Newell, who was born on Aug. 31, 1915, passed away on Nov. 17, 2008. Previous Pete Newell Career Achievement Award Recipients 2010-11 – Al Buch
2011-12 – Earl Robinson
2012-13 – Andy Wolfe
2013-14 – Earl Shultz
2014-15 – Russ Critchfield
2015-16 – Michael Pitts By: Cal Athletics | 
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