Nick Saban always had someone to accompany him during his 17 years at the University of Alabama.
Cedric Burns was the man behind the scenes making things happen for the Crimson Tide, especially bringing joy to Alabama fans from the sidelines in 2023. Kalen DeBoer is the Tide’s new head football coach, and the man from Washington had his right hand anchor stepping off the plane with him Friday night at the Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Regional Airport.
His name is Courtney Morgan, but what was his significance to DeBoer at Washington? Morgan grew up in Los Angeles (Calif.) and attended Westchester High School. He was a standout offensive lineman at the University of Michigan from 1999 to 2003.
Morgan played in 28 career games in five seasons, including 11 starts. He was versatile, playing all five linemen positions and helping the Wolverines to Big Ten Championships in 2000 and 2003. Morgan was a successful businessman before getting into coaching, co-founding Pure Influence Group and being the director of Client Development of Vanguard Sports Group.
He is big on brand awarenesses, brand strategy, and endorsements, which will help the Crimson Tide with name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities for players.
RELATED: WATCH: Kalen DeBoer greets Alabama fans at airport upon arriving in Tuscaloosa
Morgan was with DeBoer as a general manager and elite recruiter at Fresno State in 2020 and 2021.
Before he spent several years in sports business, Morgan served as director of player development at UCLA in 2013 and 2014.
He was named the No. 3 recruiter in the Mountain West Conference for the class Fresno State brought in 2021.
After bringing in a strong class, Morgan left Fresno State to join Michigan’s staff in 2021. He helped his Alma mater get to the College Football Playoff as a director of player personnel. He has been at Washington the last two seasons with DeBoer, helping the Huskies to a 25-3 record. Morgan assisted DeBoer to getting Washington to a Pac-12 Championship and a College Football Playoff appearance last season. He is significant in recruiting, business acumen, and fostering relationships, but we’ll see what Morgan does at Alabama.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
