In his first couple of days as UAB’s interim soccer coach, Alex Mortensen rapidly earned the respect of athletic director Mark Ingram, who was impressed by Mortensen’s composure, professionalism and regular management amid a difficult transition.
Mortensen, the 39-year-old son of late ESPN reporter Chris Mortensen, had been tasked with changing former Blazers coach Trent Dilfer, who had given him his first large break in teaching when he employed him because the workforce’s offensive coordinator in 2023.
In line with Ingram, Mortensen was calm and assured when he met with UAB’s gamers and assistant coaches for the primary time after Dilfer was fired Oct. 12. Mortensen was polished and ready when he confronted the media the subsequent day.
“You are speaking a couple of bunch of men that had been very emotional about that information, and I assumed Alex dealt with that superbly,” Ingram stated. “He met with the employees, and I assumed he dealt with that superbly. He was fabulous on the podium with [the media]. I hate to say that I used to be shocked, however I used to be sort of pleasantly shocked at how effectively he is achieved with all of that as a result of he simply hadn’t achieved it earlier than.”
Mortensen had that very same cool and measured demeanor when he made his head-coaching debut final week, main UAB, a 21½-point underdog, to a 31-24 upset of then-No. 22 Memphis at Protecting Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.
After the Blazers punted with a seven-point lead and fewer than two minutes to play, the Tigers transformed on fourth-and-7 when quarterback AJ Hill accomplished a 21-yard cross to Cortez Braham Jr.
Then it regarded as if Memphis had a landing, with the potential to tie the rating with a PAT or take the lead with a 2-point conversion, when Greg Desrosiers Jr. broke off a 41-yard run. However replay officers dominated Desrosiers’ left knee was down on the 1-yard line.
That is when issues fell aside for the Tigers. A false-start penalty backed them as much as the UAB 6. Desrosiers practically scored on first-and-goal however was pushed out on the 1. Then got here one other false begin, two incompletions and a delay-of-game penalty, leaving the Tigers with fourth-and-goal from the 11 with 19 seconds remaining.
What was going by way of Mortensen’s thoughts within the largest second of his first sport in cost?
“Do we have to or wish to use a timeout in any of these conditions?” Mortensen stated. “What’s going to we do if we do not be ok with how we’re aligned or possibly what set they arrive out in? I am fascinated by, clearly, we have to be ready for them to run a 2-point play in the event that they rating. In the event that they tie it, I am additionally considering how possibly we wish to deal with time beyond regulation.
“So, you recognize, simply operating by way of all these issues. There was even a degree the place you are going, ‘OK, in the event that they rating with ample time on the clock, how can we wish to deal with the two-minute scenario?’ Nonetheless a lot time is left, whether or not we wish to attempt to rating or whether or not we wish to take it to time beyond regulation.”
On fourth-and-goal, Lewis threw to the left facet of the top zone for Braham, who caught the ball out of bounds. As soon as replay upheld the decision, the Blazers wildly celebrated ending a three-game shedding streak and profitable for the primary time in additional than a month.
With backup quarterback Ryder Burton making his first profession begin (starter Jalen Kitna was sidelined with a shoulder damage), the Blazers had 470 yards of offense and went 9-for-13 on third down to finish the Tigers’ 10-game profitable streak.
“Clearly, the end result was superior to see our guys play actually exhausting and play poised, proper all the way down to the top,” Mortensen stated.
It was UAB’s fifth victory over an AP High 25 opponent within the 28-year historical past of this system and its first since defeating No. 13 BYU 31-28 within the Independence Bowl on the finish of the 2021 season.
“Contemplating the emotion, not simply of the week however of the season, and actually popping out of final yr, it was exuberant,” Ingram stated. “Like a positively emotional afternoon to see the gamers’ and the coaches’ and the followers’ faces and the way excited they had been. Gosh, oh man, it felt actually good.”
Mortensen known as Ingram on Thursday night time and stated, “Memphis is actually good.”
“My plan is to attempt to sluggish the sport down as greatest I can to mitigate what they’re doing,” Mortensen informed him. “, if they do not have the ball, then they cannot rating. And even when we do not rating, we are able to hopefully maintain it away from them. We are able to maintain it near the place we’re within the sport, as a result of if it is low-scoring sufficient, then we’re by no means actually out of the sport.”
As a substitute of operating the fast-paced offense that had been a trademark underneath Dilfer, the Blazers had been extra deliberate and affected person. They nonetheless did not huddle more often than not, however they did not snap the ball as rapidly, taking extra break day the play clock.
There was an surprising profit from Mortensen’s plan. UAB’s offense was extra disciplined and made fewer of the errors that had plagued it previously. The Blazers had been penalized 13 occasions for 110 yards in a 56-24 loss at Tennessee, 11 occasions for 73 yards in a 31-13 loss towards Military, and 15 occasions for 128 yards in a 53-33 loss at Florida Atlantic.
They’d solely six penalties for 47 yards towards Memphis.
“They had been all possibly a bit bit extra assured of their assignments on offense,” Ingram stated. “Whenever you go hurry-up, you higher know what you are doing. There is not any room for error; your margin for error actually shrinks. And by slowing down, I simply assume there was this, like, ‘OK, everyone, deep breath.'”
Ingram made the choice to fireside Dilfer the day after the loss at Florida Atlantic dropped the Blazers’ file to 2-4.
Dilfer, a former Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterback and ESPN analyst, had a 9-21 file in two-plus seasons at UAB.
“Trent stated to the workforce after the FAU sport, ‘I do not assume you are a foul soccer workforce. You are simply not enjoying good soccer,'” Ingram stated. “I agree with that as a result of there have been moments the place we scored or had a pleasant defensive sequence, and I assumed, ‘Gosh, if we might simply maintain enjoying like that, we’ll win lots of soccer video games, you recognize?’ After which we simply hadn’t been in a position to preserve that.”
Throughout a gathering with Ingram on the day he was fired, Dilfer really useful Mortensen to be the interim head coach. Earlier than Dilfer employed him, Mortensen had been a place coach for just one season, in 2012 when he was quarterbacks coach at Division II New Mexico Highlands.
Mortensen, who performed quarterback at Arkansas and Samford, spent 9 seasons as a graduate assistant and analyst at Alabama from 2014 to 2022. The Crimson Tide gained three nationwide championships and went 115-12 whereas he was there.
“I assumed he was one of many smartest folks that ever was concerned in our program,” former Alabama coach Nick Saban stated. “He actually understood soccer, had nice data and good educating development. He was a quiet man, which is one thing that I at all times talked to him about. He wanted to be extra outgoing and extra outspoken with gamers and along with his colleagues.”
Throughout his 9 seasons at Alabama, Mortensen was uncovered to a number of offensive coordinators who at the moment are head coaches in school soccer and the NFL: Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), Steve Sarkisian (Texas), Brian Daboll (New York Giants), Mike Locksley (Maryland) and Invoice O’Brien (Boston School).
Mortensen primarily labored with quarterbacks whereas at Alabama, tutoring NFL starters Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones and Heisman winner Bryce Younger alongside the best way.
“He had actually good data of the place, technically,” Saban stated. “He was simply made out of the correct stuff. He was not an enormous ego man and by no means bought affected by all that stuff. He was a very good instructor and helped develop lots of good gamers.”
Saban stated Mortensen stayed with him for practically a decade as a result of different colleges weren’t keen to offer him an opportunity till Dilfer did.
“He might by no means break by way of and get a possibility as a result of everyone would at all times say, ‘Nicely, you want expertise,'” Saban stated. “However he is an instance of a man that had large resiliency professionally to persevere by way of the ups and downs and keep it up and hold in there. He believed in himself and ready himself in order that when he did get a possibility, he would be capable to benefit from it, and he definitely did that.”
One one that wasn’t shocked by Mortensen’s capacity to stay unflappable and centered within the ultimate minutes of UAB’s victory towards Memphis was NFL reporter Adam Schefter, who labored with Chris Mortensen for 15 years at ESPN.
Schefter, Alex Mortensen and ESPN analyst Chris Berman gave eulogies at Chris Mortensen’s funeral. Mortensen died March 3, 2024. He was 72.
“I might barely maintain it collectively,” Schefter stated. “[Alex] bought up there — and it is his father and a very powerful determine in his life — and he was as calm and composed as anyone might ever hope to be. I by no means may very well be as calm and composed as he was that day.”
Chris Mortensen joined ESPN in 1991 and was an everyday contributor to the community’s NFL reveals and “SportsCenter.” In 2016, he obtained the Professional Soccer Writers of America’s Dick McCann Award and was honored through the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame’s enshrinement ceremony in August that yr.
Chris Mortensen was recognized with Stage 4 throat most cancers in January 2016. He stepped away from his position at ESPN in 2023.
“There wasn’t something that made Mort any happier than Alex,” Schefter stated. “When he sort of scaled again [from work], he wished to observe Alex’s groups, and he wished to observe Alex coach. That was the hope. That is what he wished to do along with his free time. I can not overstate how a lot he beloved Alex.”
Schefter, who stays in shut contact with Alex, watched UAB’s victory over Memphis on TV along with his household Saturday. As Schefter watched his late pal’s solely youngster information his workforce to one of many largest upsets of the season, he texted with a few ESPN colleagues.
At one level through the sport, Schefter wrote, “I can not consider how a lot I care about this sport.”
Somebody replied: “That is what love does for you.”
“We love Mort, and we love Alex,” Schefter stated. “We’re very pleased with him. And in a manner, we really feel like we’re representing Mort, to take care of Alex and cheer for him and assist him from afar.”
Alex Mortensen thought so much about his late father Saturday, too.
“I take into consideration my dad each single day and take into consideration what he’d inform me to do,” Mortensen stated. “I used to hunt his counsel on lots of issues, and so I am at all times questioning what he would inform me. Saturday was positively no completely different.”
After Burton took a knee within the victory formation to complete UAB’s beautiful upset, Schefter despatched a textual content to Chris Mortensen’s widow, Micki, congratulating her on Alex’s win and telling her how a lot it meant to so lots of Chris’ former colleagues.
Her reply: “Completely satisfied tears,” with a coronary heart emoji.