Courtney Morgan, the general manager of Alabama, has an office that looks like a classy cigar lounge. Charcoal paint is used on the walls. A seating space close to the door is anchored by a leather couch. And Morgan turns on a number of lamps that create a cozy and welcoming glow rather than ruining the atmosphere with glaring halogen lights overhead.
Behind his desk, a big canvas print completes the ensemble. Instead of a typical action shot, Morgan requested a picture of the well-known pass-rusher Derrick Thomas, who was his childhood idol. “Anything other than football,” he asked. The result was a black-and-white headshot of Thomas in a suit, sitting in an office with a phone to his ear and his shoes put up on a desk next to an open briefcase, provided by Kent Gidley, director of photography at UA. The 1988 Heisman Trophy campaign for the school did not include the shot. If it had, by now it would be all over campus, on T-shirts, in dining establishments, and on the walls of dorm rooms. It exudes coolness.
It also serves as a reminder of the positive things that both previous and present coworkers have said about Morgan: that he has a keen sense of what is and is not hip, which is important when hiring. The former defensive lineman for Michigan, though, is all business. He recently discussed the challenges of roster management, brand building, and how these factors influence name, image, and likeness in an interview with 247Sports. A player from out of state handling a family problem, and an assistant coach organizing the details of an unexpected recruit’s visit to campus were among the calls he took in the interim. After a few days away from the team, head coach Kalen DeBoer visited at one point. Based on the bag slung over his shoulder, it appeared that he had not yet made it to his own workspace. His first stop was Morgan.
According to DeBoer’s records, without Morgan, the lone employee he sent to Tuscaloosa in January, Washington would not have advanced to the championship game the previous season. Other staff members joined
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