‘A pillar of the program’: Courtney Morgan is helping shape the future of Alabama football
General manager Courtney Morgan brings a unique background and perspective to Alabama Crimson Tide football
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama general manager Courtney Morgan’s office is reminiscent of an upscale cigar bar. The walls are painted charcoal. A leather couch anchors a seating area near the door. And rather than kill the vibe with harsh halogen lights overhead, Morgan flips on a series of lamps that cast a warm and inviting glow.
Completing the look is a large canvas print behind his desk. Morgan wanted a photo of his childhood idol, famed pass-rusher Derrick Thomas, but not a standard action shot. “Something non-football,” he requested. UA director of photography Kent Gidley delivered: a black-and-white portrait of Thomas wearing a suit, seated in an office with a phone pressed against his ear, shoes propped up on a desk beside an open briefcase. The shot never ran as part of the school’s 1988 Heisman Trophy campaign. If it had, it would be everywhere by now — on T-shirts, in restaurants, covering the walls of dorm rooms across campus. It oozes cool.
It’s also a reminder of what current and former colleagues say about Morgan — that he has an uncanny feel for what’s cool and what’s not, which is crucial in recruiting. Yet the former Michigan defensive lineman is all business. During a recent conversation with 247Sports, he spoke about the complexities of roster management, building brands and how that feeds into name, image and likeness. Meanwhile, he fielded multiple calls — an assistant coach sorting out the logistics of an unexpected recruit visiting campus, a player out of state dealing with a family matter.
At one point, head coach Kalen DeBoer popped in after a few days on the road. Judging by the backpack hanging on his shoulder, he hadn’t gone to his own office yet. Morgan was his first stop.
