When Kalen DeBoer got off the airplane at Tuscaloosa National Airport on Friday, he was followed off by a key member of his Washington staff. Courtney Morgan, who served as general manager for the Huskies for the past two seasons, followed his boss to Alabama.

After being introduced as Alabama’s new head coach to replace the retired Nick Saban, DeBoer seemed to confirm that Morgan will be taking a role with UA. He said Morgan has already got to work.

“He’s just so tied in to everyone in the recruiting world,” DeBoer said. “Players, staff members. He knows a lot of this roster and there are parents of players on this roster that he’s got their numbers and talking with them right now, trying to just, probably alluding to what we’re trying to accomplish right now and holding people in place and not getting too antsy.”

Morgan was one of DeBoer’s first hires at Washington before the 2022 season. He had previously held the same general manager role with Michigan in 2021, a one year separation from DeBoer, who also kept Morgan as general manager at Fresno State and San Jose State.

He also worked as the director of player development at UCLA, during which time he started a company to connect athletes and other public figures with business opportunities. He played offensive line at Michigan from 1990-2003.

DeBoer and Morgan will need to be working immediately, trying to keep Alabama’s roster together. The Crimson Tide’s players received a 30-day window to enter the transfer portal following Saban’s retirement.