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Wasatch Academy boys' basketball coach Geno Morgan died in his sleep Thursday while visiting family in Chicago, according to a release from the school. He was 49.
Morgan led Wasatch Academy, a private preparatory school in Mount Pleasant, to three state titles from 2011 to 2014. Hired in 2009 as the boys' basketball coach, Morgan asserted himself as one of the state's best coaches. He was named the best high school coach in Utah by the Best of State organization for six consecutive seasons.
He also won the Best of State Statue in 2015 in the Sports & Recreation Category.
According to a release, Wasatch Academy Head of School Joseph Loftin said he spoke with Geno's wife, Lisa, regarding the news. The couple had recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary less than two weeks prior by renewing their vows in front of family and friends.
"He was a complete human being," Loftin said in the release. "He exemplified everything good about humanity. His character, his compassion, and his caring for others were as strong an any I've encountered. He set high standards of excellence for himself and others, but pushed for those standards with great humanity. He developed great players, but even more important, he developed great people. His impact on myself and everyone else goes well beyond the sport of basketball."
Morgan's turnaround at the school and on the court didn't take very long.
In his first year, the Tigers went from a three-win team to a three-loss team.
Wasatch Academy won its first state title in 2011 in the Class 1A classification. Two years later, the Tigers won the first of their back-to-back 2A state titles in 2013 and 2014.
The boys' basketball program ventured into uncharted territory in the 2014-15 season, becoming an independent program in Utah. The Tigers played several top-50 teams and defeated teams like St. Benedict's (N.J.), Bogan (Chicago) and gave three-time national champion Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) a run for its money, before losing by nine in Florida.
Before arriving at Wasatch Academy, Morgan coached at Emory University in Atlanta, Alaska Pacific University, and a high school in Fairbanks, Alaska.