The Bulldog track and field and cross country program has added LaVera Morris as the teams’ Director of Operations, according to head coach Petros Kyprianou.

 
Morris joins Georgia after serving in a similar role for the University of Texas in 2016 and 2017. The Longhorn men and women posted five top-10 national team finishes during that stretch.
 
 
Morris will handle the day-to-day operations of the Bulldog program working closely with the coaching staff on scheduling as well as organizing and planning team travel during the season and other administrative duties.
 
 
“I’m very excited to welcome LaVera to our track and field family here at Georgia,” Kyprianou said. “LaVera brings a plethora of skills and talents that will help our program become more efficient both in the office and on the track. She understands the sport since she ran at Kentucky and her ability to be two steps ahead of every task drew my attention and made me want to add her to our staff. LaVera will be an integral part of our future success as she has a proven record of working at top schools with NCAA championship visions.
 
 
“LaVera also has the personality that complements our staff as she knows all event areas of track and field, understands the business aspect and knows how to handle crucial situations on the road and on the track. In addition, she is heavily involved in the (U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, USTFCCCA) and serves in various roles with the organization. We look forward to having her in Athens!”
 
 
Morris, a 2008 Kentucky graduate in Kinesiology and owner of two Master’s degrees, is also excited about joining the Red and Black.
 
 
“I am grateful to be joining the University of Georgia Athletic Association and to be part of Coach Kyprianou’s staff,” said Morris. “He is doing some amazing things here at Georgia and I want to add to that with my skill set and experience in operations. The staff in Athens is like family and I’m happy to be a part of that.”
 
 
Morris recently completed two seasons as the Director of Operations for Texas. She joined the support staff with the Longhorns midway through the 2016 indoor season after three seasons as an assistant coach and Director of Operations for the UTSA Roadrunners.
 
 
During her three years at UTSA, Morris worked with the Roadrunners’ middle distance runners and assisted with the cross country team. Under her guidance, she helped the Roadrunners win their first-ever Conference USA title in women’s cross country in 2013. In 2015, she also coached Stephanie Wangui to Conference USA indoor and outdoor titles in the 800 meters. Wangui also qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds in her event.
 
 
Prior to joining the coaching staff at UTSA, Morris served as the Director of Operations at her alma mater, Kentucky. There she planned team travel, handled athletic apparel and equipment distribution for the athletes, organized recruitment visits on campus along with various other administrative duties for the program.
 
 
Before joining the staff at Kentucky, Morris attended the University of Central Florida where she earned two master’s degrees in Business Administration and Sports Management in 2011. During her time at UCF, she served as a graduate research assistant for the DeVos Sport Business Management Program Alumni Association at UCF. Morris also served as a marketing and sales intern for the Black Coaches and Administrators/Learfield Sports.
 
 
Morris earned her bachelor’s degree from Kentucky in 2008. While competing for the Wildcats, she was a two-time All-American in the 800m. In 2006, she won the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championship in the distance medley relay. Her personal best times still rank her as one of the top 800m runners in Wildcat history.