Region 3: Derek Morris, CAA

Cleveland Middle School 

demorris@clevelandschools.org  

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Derek Morris brings more than 25 years of experience in education and interscholastic athletics, with a career defined by leadership, mentorship, and a commitment to student growth. A 1994 graduate of Cleveland High School, Morris earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Lee University in 1999 and later completed a Master of Arts in Teaching in 2002. His professional journey in education includes 14 years as an Engineering Teacher at Cleveland Middle School, 10 years teaching Engineering in Hamilton County, and two years as a Work-Based Learning teacher at Denning Center High School. He currently also serves as Chair of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department at Cleveland Middle School, a STEM-designated school.

Throughout his career, Morris has built an extensive coaching résumé across multiple sports at both the middle and high school levels. His experience includes serving as an assistant and head coach in basketball, football, cross country, track and field, and swimming. Most notably, he served as Head Girls Basketball Coach at East Hamilton Middle/High School from 2009–2015 and as Head Boys Basketball Coach at Cleveland Middle School from 2016–2026. Since 2022, Morris has served as Assistant Athletic Director at Cleveland Middle School, where he has worked closely with CMAA and former TIAAA President Scott Carroll to develop his leadership in athletic administration further.

As an athletic administrator, Morris is dedicated to fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and excellence. He is passionate about mentoring young coaches, supporting student-athletes, and strengthening athletic programs through intentional leadership and teamwork. His vision is for the athletic department to work collectively to educate, train, and develop student-athletes so that they grow not only in competition but also in character and leadership.