Alabama football fans were excited to greet Kalen DeBoer at the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport as the Crimson Tide’s new head coach, yet the mystery man that came off the plane with him was more intriguing.
He has no longer been a mystery, especially with what he’s been doing for the Tide in recruiting.
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Courtney Morgan, Alabama’s first-ever general manager, has made an early impact on the program.
He is from the inner city of Los Angeles, Calif., but Morgan was an offensive lineman at the University of Michigan. He was DeBoer’s director of player personnel and general manager in two years at Washington (2022-23), helping the Huskies to a Pac-12 Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2023.
Morgan was with DeBoer at Fresno State in 2019, but his duties at Alabama include overseeing and directing the daily operations of both the personnel and recruiting departments, organizing the head coaches film evaluations and prospect communication, organizing transfer portal evaluations, and supervising internal brand management for the Tide. He is wearing a lot of hats, but Morgan is having Alabama dominate in recruiting for the 2025 class. The Tide has 20 verbal commitments and stands with the No. 2 class in the nation.
In an interview with Adam Breneman of Next Up, DeBoer says he trusts Morgan’s vision.
*DeBoer starts talking about Courtney Morgan at the 17:47 mark
“He has his hands in everything, and I let him do that,” DeBoer said about Morgan. “He has great vision. He takes pride in what he does. He does it the right way. He is a relationship guy, and we have built a strong relationship over the last three to four years at different places with this being the one together between Fresno State, Washington, and now Alabama. There is a vision that he helps me continue to stay aligned with. He is really in tune to the way things continue to evolve. He has a lot of experience in this area, but more than anything he is about people. He cherishes relationships. The relationships he has with these prospects and their families is really critical.”
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DeBoer said Morgan has the creativity to tap into what appeals to the 16 to 17-year-old athlete in recruiting.
He has that swagger with this 2025 class as Alabama has pulled in 11 names from the south to southeast region, and nine prospects from other areas — including five from California.
Morgan is an elite specialist at what he does, and the Crimson Tide are happy to have him.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
