New Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris shoots and kills an armadillo in his yard

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris said he recently shot and killed an armadillo that was damaging his yard.

Morris, the former North Texas coach hired to revive a struggling program in Stillwater, described his overnight encounter with the armored mammal during a session with reporters this week.

“My brain’s going constantly and so ... I don’t sleep very well,” he said Tuesday. “I’ve had a couple of armadillo problems tearing up my lawn. Finally, a couple of days ago I just popped up at 2:30 (a.m.) because I couldn’t sleep and I thought it was a great opportunity for me to go outside and luckily I found him.”

It was the first encounter with an armadillo for Morris, who said it “was crushing my yard, my flower beds, digging everything up.”

Morris made quick work of the animal and gave new meaning to “Pistols Firing,” a popular slogan and hand gesture used by Oklahoma State fans and teams.

“Had to send a text message to my neighbors,” he said. “I apologized for the gunshot. I am in the country, so it was legal. But I did get rid of him.”

Oklahoma State, which went 1-11 last season, plays its 2026 opener on Sept. 5 against Tulsa. Morris, who went 22-16 in three seasons at North Texas, was hired to replace Mike Gundy, the longtime Cowboys coach who was fired last September.

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