As part of A Wolverine Life series, FAM caught up with former player Courtney Morgan, who played offensive line for the Wolverines from 1999–2003 and was part of two Big Ten Championship teams. Courtney is currently the General Manager for Football at the University of Alabama, where he oversees Alabama’s roster and manages the daily operations of both the personnel and recruiting departments.
Growing up in the inner city of Los Angeles, CA, Courtney was always drawn to sports. By the fourth grade, he knew he wanted to play and work in athletics. Patience became a virtue early on. “They had tackle football, but they wanted me to play up two or three levels because of my size, which my mother outright refused—so I had to wait,” recalls Morgan.
Spending summers in Canton, OH, with extended family (his parents attended Canton McKinley High School), Courtney got his first real taste of tackle football. A family illness meant he spent fifth grade in Ohio, finally giving him the chance to suit up. “Football is big in Ohio—it’s all they do, all they talk about; it’s in their blood,” Morgan said, reflecting on his early exposure to organized football.
Although he wouldn’t put on pads again until freshman year at Westchester High School in California, his father—who had played college basketball—introduced him to Michigan through the Fab Five. “Dad would sit me down and tell me to just watch these Michigan guys and what they were doing,” said Morgan. “All those Saturday mornings spent watching Channel 7 and the likes of Tim Biakabutuka—that’s when I fell in love with the University of Michigan.”
By the summer of his junior year, Morgan attended Michigan’s camp, which gave him invaluable on-campus experience. That sealed his decision over offers from USC, Colorado, and Ohio State (his first offer).
Ph.D. in Football
Freshman camp hit Morgan with a dose of reality in August 1999. “It was definitely difficult getting acclimated at Michigan initially—you were forced to be your best and bring it every day,” remembers Morgan. “I tell people I got my Ph.D. in offensive line play at Michigan, benefiting from upperclassmen like Steve Hutchinson, Jeff Backus, Maurice Williams, and others.”
Daily support came from high school teammate Charles Drake. “Charles and I played together since 9th grade. When camp got tough, he’d blame me for bringing him to Michigan,” laughed Morgan. “We’d cross out the days left in camp, and Drake would make me wait three days before putting an ‘X’ on the calendar—that meant we were really moving forward,” he recounted.
After redshirting his first season, Morgan worked his way into the offensive line rotation and eventually became a starter. The memory of his first real game action remains vivid. “First quarter of the 2001 Penn State game, Coach Malone told me to grab my helmet because he was tired of watching one of our linemen play through injury. A few plays later, I was in—and the rest is history,” Morgan recalled.
He credits Coach Carr for shaping his mindset and discipline. “I was a boy coming into Michigan, but Coach Carr became a father figure and helped shape the man I am today,” Morgan shared.
From Corporate to College Athletics
After his final season in 2003, Morgan admitted to feeling lost without football. Though he found success in pharmaceuticals and medical device sales for five years, his heart remained in football. He coached youth teams and trained elite athletes on weekends. Word spread of his eye for talent, and in 2011 he made a bold leap, joining UCLA under new head coach Jim Mora.
“I was technically the Director of Player Personnel, but I was essentially a volunteer—doing anything and everything in recruiting, evaluations, and personnel,” Morgan explained. UCLA offensive line coach Adrian Klemm was instrumental in helping Morgan make the transition, recognizing his deep knowledge of player development.
At UCLA, Morgan also created a “college to career” course to support athletes after their playing days—emphasizing the importance of building systems similar to those in the NFL.
Back to the Sidelines
Morgan expanded his resume with time at Vanguard Sports Group and as co-founder of Pure Influence Group, working with professional athletes on business, branding, and community impact. Yet the pull to return to college football remained strong.
In 2019, Morgan joined San Jose State as Director of Player Personnel under Brent Brennan. Within a year, word of Morgan’s skill set began to spread, and he moved to Fresno State with up-and-coming coach Kalen DeBoer. There, as General Manager, he showcased his recruiting prowess and ability to run a football program—even amid COVID-19 disruptions.
In 2021, as he prepared to head to the SEC with a position at Mississippi State, he received a phone call from Perry Porikos, owner of the Brown Jug in Ann Arbor. The message: Courtney needed to come back home. “It happened quite fast, and about an hour later I was on the phone with Coach Harbaugh interviewing; shortly thereafter, I was in Ann Arbor,” recalls Morgan, who had never spoken with Harbaugh before. “It was great to be back, and I worked my butt off from day one.”
The passion in Morgan’s voice comes out as he rattles off the names of players in the 2022 recruiting class, along with the word “conviction”—which he believes is the most important skill in his role. One example: convincing Michigan coaches to offer a scholarship to a three-star defensive lineman from California with no Power 5 offers, an atypical body type, and a junior season wiped out by COVID-19. Safe to say, Courtney’s eye for talent was spot-on. That player? Mason Graham, a two-time All-American in just three years at Michigan.
Year One, Round Three
As year one at Michigan ended, Morgan’s phone rang again—from the West Coast. A familiar voice and another “year one” opportunity: Coach DeBoer, now at the University of Washington, offered Morgan the General Manager role. It wasn’t an easy decision, but Morgan once again bet on himself. In just two seasons, Washington went from 4–8 to playing in the National Championship against Michigan in 2023—with a roster that bore Morgan’s fingerprints.
As NIL, the transfer portal, and player retention became the new norm in college football, Morgan’s role continued to evolve. When asked about retention—perhaps the most overlooked part of the modern game—Morgan said, “Retention comes from the trust and relationships with families. When those difficult times come, that’s when you realize you have those relationships.”
Now at Bama
“It’s just business—and part of what you sign up for,” Morgan said of his newest challenge as General Manager and Director of Player Personnel at Alabama. Hired just days after the 2024 National Championship Game, Morgan was DeBoer’s first call.
“Everything is about roster retention at Alabama,” Morgan noted. “It’s more than just landing top players—you need to understand your system, fit, maturity, and now, how money is allocated.” While he understands he won’t win every recruiting or retention battle, Morgan believes authenticity is key to long-term success.
Don’t let his humility fool you—he’s built quite a resume and consistently taken on roles with uncertain outlooks. Experiences that began on practice fields and inside Schembechler Hall instilled in Morgan the confidence to thrive far beyond its walls.
Rapid-Fire Reflections
Recruited by: Brady Hoke
If not Michigan, where: USC
Toughest Opponents: Will Smith (Ohio State), Matt Roth (Iowa), Albert Haynesworth (Tennessee)
Favorite Coach Carr Sayings:
- “Begin with the end in mind.”
- “Football doesn’t build character, it reveals character.”
- “Give me a place to stand and I’ll move the world.”
Best Atmosphere as a Player: Ohio State (2002)
Best Atmosphere as a Non-Player: @Oregon or @Tennessee
How do you connect with 17-year-olds? “I pick up the phone and FaceTime.”
A Wolverine Life is a series from FAM highlighting former members of the Michigan Football program and their lives beyond college. For questions or comments, reach out to FAM.
— Brian Resutek