Alex Mortensen was UAB’s interim head coach for the Blazers’ last six games of the season. Although they won just two games during that stretch, one of those victories was arguably more impressive than anything his predecessor did.
In the first game after UAB fired previous head coach Trent Dilfer and named Mortensen the interim head coach, the Blazers defeated Memphis 31-24. That ended up derailing the Tigers’ season, as they were one of the favorites to win the American Conference and even make the College Football Playoff.
Though UAB did conduct a head coaching search, the Blazers have reportedly decided to make Mortensen the long-term head coach. Here’s more about the situation:
Alex Mortensen’s Resume
Mortensen’s experience has mostly been on the offensive side of the ball.
He was UAB’s offensive coordinator under Trent Dilfer. In Mortensen’s first season with the Blazers in 2023, they averaged 450 yards per game, which was a school record. Mortensen was a nominee that year for the Broyles Award, which goes to the country’s top assistant coach.
Also in 2023, Mortensen coached quarterback Jacob Zeno, who set school records for completions (279) and completion percentage (73.6) and threw for 3,126 yards which was the second-most in a single season at UAB. He was second in the country in completion percentage, 11th in total offense (299.5 yards per game), and 14th in passing yards per game (284.2).
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Mortensen also coached running back Jermaine Brown Jr., UAB’s all-time leader with 5,026 all-purpose yards.
Mortensen was previously a graduate assistant (2014-16) and offensive analyst (2017-22) at Alabama. During his time there, the Crimson Tide won three national championships as he worked with players like Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, and Bryce Young.
Mortensen also was a quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at Division II New Mexico Highlands in 2012. A year later, he was on the St. Louis Rams’ staff and was a wide receivers coach briefly for the AAF’s Birmingham Iron in 2019.
Mortensen played quarterback at Arkansas, where he graduated from in 2009. He earned his master’s degree at Alabama in 2016. Mortensen’s father, Chris Mortensen, was an analyst at ESPN for decades.
Why Alex Mortensen Is The Right (And Wrong) Choice For UAB
There’s clear pros and cons to hiring Mortensen.
As for the pros, Mortensen would bring some continuity to a UAB football program that has struggled in recent years. And while he had a losing record during his time as UAB’s interim head coach, he did lead the Blazers to the win over Memphis, which can’t be understated here.
Having worked at Alabama, and having been UAB’s OC, Mortensen also has worked with and learned from some big names in the coaching world and has had some time to learn how to lead a program himself. And he also has some experience in the state outside of UAB.
But I could also see fans being upset with this news. Mortensen isn’t necessarily a flashy hire and comes from a coaching staff that didn’t see much success with Dilfer at the helm.
How can people expect things to change if UAB is hiring a familiar face? Time will tell.
Mortensen also doesn’t have head coaching experience except for his time as the interim. That’s not a terrible drawback, but it’s something to consider.
