Key Washington staffer Courtney Morgan spotted in Tuscaloosa with Kalen DeBoer
One of the most important names at Washington during Kalen DeBoer’s two years as head coach was Courtney Morgan. He was the Huskies’ general manager, tasked with helping DeBoer turn the program around after spending the 2021 season at his alma mater, Michigan.
Friday, DeBoer got off a plane at Tuscaloosa National Airport as the new head coach at Alabama, replacing Nick Saban. Morgan followed shortly thereafter.
Morgan was one of DeBoer’s first hires at Washington after leaving Fresno State, initially joining Washington as director of player personnel. That was the position he held at Michigan, helping lead the Wolverines to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance as part of a turnaround season under Jim Harbaugh.
DeBoer hasn’t yet made any staff announcement at Alabama — he’s only had the job for a few hours, after all. But the fact that Morgan was on the plane with him could be a sign of things to come.
How Courtney Morgan could be a key part of Kalen DeBoer’s plan at Alabama
Morgan’s fingerprints were all over both programs during Monday’s national championship. He helped bring in some of the big-time talent at Michigan and Washington, and it made for some conflicting emotions heading into the matchup, as he told The Athletic.
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In fact, Will Johnson — who went on to win defensive player of the game — talked about Morgan’s impact during media day.
“Courtney’s the GOAT,” Johnson told reporters. “He did a lot for this program when he was here, recruited guys like Mason [Graham] and [Kenneth Grant], found guys like that that nobody really knew about and got them on our team. He’s one of the people that helped build the program to where it is now and issue it’s one of the reasons why Washington is here, too.
“He’s the undercover guy that’s doing everything behind the scenes.”
DeBoer’s staff will likely take shape over the next couple weeks as he settles in at Alabama. On the field, the results have been nothing short of impressive during his short time at Washington. The Huskies went 25-3 under DeBoer’s watch and made the national championship in 2023, just two years after a 4-8 campaign under the previous regime.
As he prepares to take on the SEC at a top-tier program like Alabama, the staff will be important as DeBoer looks to fill Saban’s big shoes following his surprising decision to retire earlier this week.