Bethel Remembers Tennis Coach Dan Morton
May 27, 2016 | Noon
By Jared Johnson, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information and Marketing
Former Bethel University men's and women's tennis coach Dan Morton passed away on May 17 after suffering a stroke, followed by a brain aneurism.
"For over a decade, Coach Morton's thoughtful and Christ-centered nature impacted Bethel tennis players in profound ways," says Athletic Director Bob Bjorklund. "His warm, gracious, and caring demeanor was evident to all who knew him. He was adept at encouraging his players to compete with excellence. Coach Morton was a God-honoring gentleman who left his mark on Bethel Athletics in far reaching ways."
In his 12 years coaching for Bethel, Morton led the men's team to a 72-107 record and the women's team to a 40-125 mark. After enduring multiple seasons with a sub-.500 record, Morton helped the men's team go 50-37 from 2006-10, including back-to-back 7-2 conference marks in 2008 and 2009. Furthermore, Morton took the women's tennis team from 1-17 in 2001 to 9-11 in 2006.
When retiring from Bethel in 2012 Morton had this to share, "My time at Bethel has been a blessing and a privilege, as Bethel players and I have shared our love of the game, of our Lord Jesus, and our teammates. We truly pray that our play and sportsmanship is an offering to God, who gave us the ability and opportunity to grow our faith, academics, tennis, and relationship in this strong MIAC setting. I have made several hundred good friends, among players, parents, and coaches over my twelve-year career at Bethel, and I look forward to enjoying many of those friendships through years to come."
A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, June 10 at Rose Hill Alliance Church, which will be preceded by a visitation starting at noon. For more information about Coach Morton, click here.