Kalen DeBoer landed in Tuscaloosa as the next head football coach at the University of Alabama at about 9:00pm local time on Friday night. He was greeted at the airport by hundreds of Crimson Tide fans who were so excited to get the first glimpse at their future without Nick Saban.
However, perhaps the most important component to his arrival got off of the plane last.
The final person off of the jet was Courtney Morgan. That’s huge news for college football.
Morgan, who spent the 2021 season on the staff at Michigan, was one of DeBoer’s first hires in Seattle after working with him at Fresno State. He joined the Washington staff as the director of player personnel and general manager.
His role was crucial to the success of the Huskies and the Wolverines en route to the College Football Playoff. It is a big deal for the Crimson Tide that Morgan is joining DeBoer in Tuscaloosa.
The title of ‘General Manager’ is a relatively new position in the modern era of college football, which is no longer an amateur sport. Its chief goal is to assemble a roster that can compete for national championships while managing the new complexities of Name, Image and Likeness.
Courtney Morgan will have a huge impact on Alabama football under Kalen DeBoer.
Morgan did that in Ann Arbor and in Seattle. His fingerprints were all over both teams that played in Houston on Monday.
Michigan defensive linemen Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant were Morgan finds. As was Will Johnson, one of the best defensive backs in the nation. The Wolverines’ 2021 recruiting class, which was largely Morgan’s doing, was crucial to their national championship run in 2023.
On the flip side, he put together a wicked talented roster at Washington. Morgan is considered to be one of the top recruiters in the country but his eye for gifted athletes — some of whom might fly under the radar on a national level — is what really sets him apart.
He was pivotal in the construction of the Huskies’ roster on both sides of the ball. His approach is focused on retention and development.
Our philosophy is to take care of our players and make sure the locker room is intact. You don’t want the money to interfere with the culture. Our first thing is roster retention. Make sure the guys in your locker room are appreciated while adding key value pieces to your roster. Now, there’s certain guys you may not get, the big-name kids who are making their decision in the portal strictly off monetary [factors].
— Courtney Morgan, via Los Angeles Times
Money is not going to be the driving force. His team will not take a transfer who hasn’t already proved his worth on the college level. High schoolers must be prepared to work for what they earn.
Our high school NIL is this: we will make sure guys get something, but they’re not going to come in making more than the guys on our team. How do we pay a high school kid more money than a guy who’s giving you blood, sweat and tears everyday?
— Courtney Morgan, via Los Angeles Times
There may be an initial element of shock to Morgan and DeBoer’s first few months in Alabama. The fanbase in Tuscaloosa is accustomed to flashy, high-profile, five-star talent.
While that will certainly be a large focus for the new Crimson Tide staff, there will be commitments from players who don’t necessarily fit into that category. Those are the guys that Morgan is typically most excited about. They are the ones who make the different in the long run.
The blueprint is there. It has shown to work.
Kalen DeBoer trusts in Morgan, whose arrival in Alabama will be more important than people realize.