The Importance of Courtney Morgan to Kalen DeBoer's New Alabama Staff
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — When new Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer got off the plane at Tuscaloosa National Airport on Friday night to be greeted by cheers from a sea of Crimson Tide fans, he wasn't alone.
After DeBoer and his wife, Nicole, got off the plane, someone else exited the aircraft of importance.
That someone was Courtney Morgan, the general manager at Washington, and the former general manager at Michigan. Morgan getting off that plane meant one thing: he would be joining DeBoer on his new staff at Alabama.
On Saturday, as DeBoer spoke with reporters for the first time since his hiring, he spoke about Morgan and his importance to what he wants to build.
"He's just so tied into everyone in the recruiting world, players staff members" DeBoer said. "He knows a lot of this roster. There are parents and players on this roster that he's got their numbers and talking with them right now, trying to just allude to what we're trying to accomplish right now. Holding people into place, and not getting too antsy."
Morgan is a former player, having played defensive line at Michigan from 1999-2003. He worked under DeBoer in some capacity during DeBoer's stint at Fresno State before working at Michigan for a year, helping bring in many of the key pieces to the Wolverines' national championship team this past season. He then went back to work for DeBoer at Washington, and helped craft the roster that made the National Championship Game and lost to the aforementioned Wolverines.
Morgan's ability to build and foster relationships will be essential over the coming weeks as DeBoer looks to keep his roster in tact. Following Nick Saban's retirement, Alabama players have a 30-day window opened to enter the transfer portal. As of Saturday afternoon, three players have already entered.
It's still unclear the title of the role Morgan will have at Alabama, as he's not yet listed in the official staff directory, but what can be certain is that he will be essential in constructing Alabama's rosters in 2024 and beyond as long as DeBoer is at the helm.
