Saranac Laker retires as Plattsburgh rugby coach | News, Sports, Jobs

“It’s time. I’m old enough. It’s time for a change. I’ve been there a long time and I’ve had fun,” he said. “I’ll miss the coaching, I just wont miss the trip going back and forth. I like it in the fall, but not during the spring. I’ll always still be around, just not as a coach. It’s time, I have three grandkids and one more on the way, so I’m going to enjoy myself.”

Morgan became the coach in 1978 — the year the program formed — while he was attending SUNY Plattsburgh. Morgan said back then whoever knew the most about the game was going to be the coach. That happened to be Morgan, who had at that point already played about 10 games for the Mountaineers Rugby Club.

He learned all everything about rugby from Jan Plumadore, a retired judge currently living in Saranac Lake. Plumadore founded and coached the Mountaineers Rugby Club in the early 1970s.

In his 46 years of coaching, SUNY Plattsburgh won the 15s state championships five times — most recently in 2023 — and placed third in the country for Division 1 Club 7s in 2022. He coached both the mens and the womens team at one point or another. Sometimes those practices would be co-ed.

“That’s what we do here with the Mountaineers,” Morgan said.

Under Morgan, Plattsburgh has been a feeder to the Mountaineers, especially during the Can-Am rugby tournament.

He is a Black Jacket Hall of Fame member. Black Jackets are awarded to members of the Mountaineers Rugby Club who have made significant, long-standing contributions to the organization through their involvement as a player on the team, officer of the club and volunteer for the Can-Am Rugby Tournament.

“I’m proud of the Mountaineers here in Saranac Lake,” Morgan said. “A lot of my players, in the last 50 years, have come out of Plattsburgh. As a matter of fact, there will be four guys playing this year from Plattsburgh for Saranac Lake.”

Among those include Morgan’s assistant, Noah Lederman, who is set to take over the SUNY Plattsburgh coaching position next season. Morgan said Lederman was an unbelievable soccer player at the school before he started playing rugby.

“(When) he found rugby and it was like ‘wow,’” Morgan said. “He was one of my best players. Noah’s going to be good. Plattsburgh’s lucky because there’s not too many rugby coaches around that know the game. I’m leaving (the program) in good hands and financially, the program is good because of the alumni.”

When Morgan announced that he was going to retire, he hoped for a small gesture from his fellow alumni rugby players, which included a keg of Ole Milwaukee and a bonfire.

“Instead they took me to the Butcher Block and 180 of my past players showed up,” he said. “It was overwhelming but it was nice.”

For Morgan, the camaraderie and family is what he’ll miss the most about his time at SUNY Plattsburgh. The university is where he met his wife, Tammy, and where his eldest son Forrest played.

“I learned that camaraderie from being part of the Mountaineers being a part of the players and stuff,” he said.

During the Tony and Trevor rugby tournament on April 20, which is hosted by SUNY Plattsburgh’s rugby team, 16 teams showed up along with multiple alumni who also participated in the event. But Morgan’s team featured two players who weren’t on his roster earlier in the season. His two sons, Forrest and Kevin.

“They played a couple of games for me. That was a thrill to see those two play together,” he said. “But it was just a tournament, it wasn’t league play, so it was bring who you have. It was fun and my kids enjoyed it.”

Coaching for the final time, Morgan ended his career on a high note when SUNY Plattsburgh took home the TNT title.