A relationship between graduate student Darryl Morsell and assistant coach DeAndre Haynes that will last a lifetime will get one more season together, though not while wearing red and yellow in College Park, Maryland, but instead doning the blue and gold in Milwaukee.
Haynes was an assistant coach at the University of Michigan for two seasons before joining the University of Maryland coaching staff before Morsell’s junior year, which is when and where their relationship would begin.
From the jump, Haynes knew that Morsell was equipped to be one of the best defenders in the Big Ten.
“I’m defensive-minded and my mom is calling me Terminator. I told (Morsell) when I first got there, you’re going to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year,” Haynes said. “He ended up getting it done.”
Before Haynes came to Maryland, Morsell said he had already known who Haynes was and the success he had at Michigan. Haynes’s success in Ann Harbor included a Final Four run in 2018 before losing to Villanova in the National Championship.
In their time at Maryland together, Haynes became a big brother figure for Morsell.
“I trusted him. He was a guard overseas and played Division 1 at a high level,” Morsell said. “I just respected him and trusted him. He kind of took me under his wing and it was great at Maryland.”
During their time shared in College Park, the Terrapins were Big Ten regular season co-champions in the 2019-20 season and would be ranked as high as fourth in the country during that season.
Last season, Morsell was able to accomplish the goal Haynes set for him while averaging nine points and four rebounds per game.
For both Morsell and Haynes, the loss to Alabama would represent their last game together with the Terps as Haynes joined new Marquette men’s basketball head coach Shaka Smart’s staff after the season.
For Haynes, his decision to come to Marquette was both basketball and family related.
“I’m from the Midwest, it gave me an opportunity to come back closer to my mom who’s disabled now,” Haynes said. “I got a lot of family here and Coach Shaka Smart called me and gave me the opportunity to come here and actually work for another coach who I always admired.”
Haynes said his admiration for Smart started when he was playing at Kent State and Smart was an assistant coach at the University of Akron.
“When I got into coaching I always followed him and I loved what he was doing at VCU,” Haynes said. “Once the opportunity presented itself I said let me go ahead and get an opportunity to come back home and bring my kids back closer to my in-laws and my parents.”
Morsell announced his decision to transfer to Marquette June 28. He said his decision to join the Golden Eagles was a combination of his relationship with Haynes and the one he built with Smart during the transfer process.
“It was really Shaka for me,” Morsell said. “He was calling me every day, the stuff he was preaching and how he was as an individual just kind of hit home for me. You know he cares about his players.”
In addition, Morsell said one of his friends Matt Coleman, who played for Smart at Texas, helped give insights to what Smart is about as a coach.
“He told me this guy (is) going to tell you the truth, he ain’t gonna lie to you but he’s going to be hard on you so like if you can embrace that, embrace that role, embrace how he’s going to be on you as a leader and stuff like that then it’s the right move,” Morsell said.
Having the relationship that Morsell and Haynes share was another part of the recruitment, but in the end Morsell said Haynes just wanted what was best for him.
“We built such a great relationship at Maryland, he just wanted to see me happy,” Morsell said. “He put in his word, he felt that Marquette would be somewhere that I could be happy, but he wasn’t really forcing it on me.”
Since coming to Marquette, Morsell said his relationship with Haynes has continued, but he has become harder on him.
“He expects more from me being older, seeing stuff, winning at a high level already,” Morsell said. “He just expects so much more from me.”
Haynes said the expectations he has for Morsell are in response to having a new role with Marquette compared to the one he had at Maryland.
“At Maryland he never had to be the guy,” Haynes said. “Here, he has an opportunity to be the guy. He’s the oldest guy on the team. He’s the leader of the team. He’s the one who will rally everybody.”
With the season starting Nov. 9, Haynes said he would like to see Morsell finish the season as the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year.
But for Morsell, he’s got something different in mind.
“I just want to get 1% better every day,” Morsell said. “I ain’t really worried about me, I’m just focusing on winning and winning with these guys.”
After making history in College Park, Maryland, Morsell and Haynes will look to do so in Milwaukee and the BIG EAST as well.
“We made history at Maryland (and) we (are) going (to) continue to make history here,” Haynes said. “Here we are in the BIG EAST now trying to make history.”
This article was written by Ben Schultz. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @benschultz52.
