It wasn’t just another 24 hours. It was the kind that only Dwayne “Tiny” Morton can produce.
In a span of one day, he went from Seton Hall men’s basketball assistant coach to middle school math teacher and returning Abraham Lincoln boys’ basketball coach, and back to just a teacher.
The bizarre events started when a basketball recruiting site’s Twitter account posted on Saturday afternoon that Morton, who recruited all summer for the Pirates, and Seton Hall guard Isaiah Whitehead were at the Conrad McCrae high school tournament watching Lincoln. The tweet was eventually deleted. Morton’s presence would be an NCAA rules violation because college coaches are not allowed to watch potential recruits in August.
A few hours later, the New York Post broke the story that Morton chose to leave Seton Hall after just one season to go back to his full-time job as a teacher because the constant grind of travel and recruiting became too much for him. According to the Post, basketball was not Morton’s priority in the move.
When Morton spoke last December about life as a college coach he mentioned the long hours, the more in-depth strategy sessions and getting used to not being the head man any more.
“It doesn’t feel good,” Morton said of watching Lincoln from the stands that day at the Tri-State High School Classic. “I’d love to be a head coach, but I understand my position.”
For a split second over the weekend, it appeared he had his old position back with the Railsplitters.
Sunday morning Morton confirmed his return to teaching to multiple news outlets, including this paper, but declined to comment any further on the matter. Around 11 am, News 12 reported that Morton had returned to Abraham Lincoln as its head boys’ basketball coach and also to the Juice All-Stars travel program. But shortly after that, Morton told me that the report was untrue. He wasn’t the coach at Lincoln. The news outlet’s tweet saying he was got quickly deleted.
Current Lincoln head coach Kenny Pretlow, who declined to comment on Morton, said he has not heard anything on his current job status. The Railsplitters claimed the Smartball, EBC Rucker Park and Conrad McCrae tournament titles this summer. Lincoln athletic director Renan Ebeid did not return phone messages.
Pretlow isn’t happy with how things transpired.
“I just don’t think this has been handled right, but it is what it is,” he said. “There is nothing I can say right now.”
An hour later, Whitehead confirmed the Post’s report that Morton’s departure would not affect him returning to Seton Hall. Whitehead tweeted, “Seton Hall to the death of me you can say lots of things about me but you can never question my loyalty.”
Morton and Whitehead went to Seton Hall in what looked like a package deal when the guard committed there and was soon followed by his old high school coach.
Now Morton will move on without him. Whether Morton ends up back at Lincoln or not, the speculation and buzz over the next two months is what only Morton can create. The first 48 hours was just a taste.
