Overview
- UAB removed the interim tag from Alex Mortensen on Thursday and introduced him Friday as head coach after a 53-day process.
- Mortensen went 2-4 as interim with a signature upset of then-No. 22 Memphis and a road win at Tulsa that snapped a 17-game skid, as UAB finished 4-8.
- The decision followed a wide-ranging search that weighed external candidates, with multiple outlets reporting the external hunt was ultimately halted.
- Mortensen, 40, spent nine seasons on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff and has been UAB’s offensive coordinator since 2023, guiding one of the program’s most productive offenses and developing quarterbacks Jalen Kitna and Ryder Burton.
- His tenure begins after a turbulent season that included a pregame stabbing in which player Daniel Mincey was charged, with Mortensen now turning to the transfer portal and recruiting as the administration pledges added resources.