MAYFIELD, Ky. - Joe Morris has checked almost every box imaginable as a head coach in Kentucky. 

But last week, he extended his accolades nationally. 

Morris was inducted into the National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

“I really feel like this award is more about our whole community and this whole program, instead of just me. I’m just the head coach, but it takes everybody.”

The longtime Mayfield coach was among 41 individuals across the country inducted in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I got to see guys that really influenced high school sports all across the country, from Arizona to New York.”

Morris has certainly had an influence of his own on football in Kentucky. 

In 23 seasons, he’s amassed a 271-54 record and won six state championships, building Mayfield into a national powerhouse. 

“I mean everybody knows him across the country," said Graves County football coach Nick Kemp, who played for Morris. "The state for sure, and across the country. They are a powerhouse, and everybody wants to beat them, so he always has a target on his back, and I think he embraces that.”

For the 23rd-year coach, the Hall of Fame induction is an honor, but he said his main focus will always be his team, and adding another state championship to an already legendary career. 

“That’s a hard expectation, because those things are hard to win," Morris concluded. "But that’s what this program has done. I just feel so fortunate to have been in this program for my whole life.”