MBA graduate spreads ‘cheer’ during his time on the Plains

Take a walk across campus with Coleman Morris, and you might be convinced by the friendly greetings he gets that he knows almost everyone at Auburn.  

While his pleasant demeanor and outgoing personality are helpful, Morris’ wide-ranging network of campus connections stems from years of involvement as a student recruiter, an intern with Auburn Advancement, the winner of Zeta Tau Alpha’s Big Man on Campus and — his favorite — a cheerleader. 

“It’s a really cool experience,” he said. “You get to be on the field, go to every game and do things not everybody gets to do. But the best part of it is you have 11 guys on the team that are all your best friends.” 

Originally from Montgomery, Alabama, Morris is graduating in December with a Master of Business Administration from the Harbert College of Business. Since his parents and older sister graduated from Auburn, it was no surprise he ended up on the Plains to earn a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a minor in psychology. 

“My dad was a cheerleader, my mom was a member of War Eagle Girls and Plainsmen (WEGP),” he said. “My sister was also a War Eagle Girl, and when we came down for home games, the guys she was around in WEGP were always willing to play with me, a little kid. I knew I wanted to be like those guys, and I knew the only way to do that was to go to Auburn.” 

But it was quite the transition from being an undergraduate — and literal Big Man on Campus — to an MBA student. After graduating with his bachelor’s degree, Morris retired from cheerleading, got married and started working as a graduate assistant with Greek Life. While he missed the gameday experience he had on the sidelines, he knew it was time to move on.  

“Looking out there when they run the big flags on the field, I love that; that was one of my favorite things,” he said. “It was tough to leave, but then I think, I had a great experience, now other people get to have that. And it is nice to have a gameday where you don’t wake up at 5 or 6 in the morning.”

Morris may sleep in on weekends now, but for the past three semesters, he’s been hard at work juggling his graduate assistant duties with Auburn’s demanding MBA program. He is grateful for the support of Lecturer Danielle Corrigan, who encouraged him to apply to the MBA program, and for the professors of practice whose industry insight is irreplaceable.  

In January, Morris will join Auburn Advancement as a regional engagement officer. While he’s excited to travel the country meeting Auburn alumni, he hopes to someday return to the Plains to be like the faculty who have inspired him. 

“The professors of practice here have real-world experience that’s really valuable,” he said. “I would love to work for a while, and then whatever industry I’m in, I would love to come back here and teach about what I did.”