Overview
- The promotion followed a 53-day search in which athletic director Mark Ingram evaluated multiple external candidates before selecting the interim coach.
- Mortensen went 2-4 as interim, opening with an upset of then-No. 22 Memphis and ending with a road win at Tulsa that snapped a 17-game road skid, with UAB finishing 4-8.
- The 40-year-old worked nine seasons under Nick Saban at Alabama and, as UAB’s offensive coordinator since 2023, helped produce one of the program’s most productive offenses.
- President Ray Watts said the university will invest more in athletics to back Mortensen’s priorities in the transfer-portal and NIL era.
- Early priorities include retaining key players through the portal window, advancing the 2026 recruiting class, and filling staff roles such as offensive coordinator.