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 crew’s offensive coordinator in 2023.
In keeping 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’re speaking a few bunch of men that have been very emotional about that information, and I believed Alex dealt with that superbly,” Ingram mentioned. “He met with the workers, and I believed 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 nicely he’s 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 seemed 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’s 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 means of Mortensen’s thoughts within the greatest second of his first sport in cost?
“Do we have to or wish to use a timeout in any of these conditions?” Mortensen mentioned. “What is going to we do if we don’t be ok with how we’re aligned or possibly what set they arrive out in? I’m excited about, clearly, we’ve obtained 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’m additionally considering how possibly we wish to deal with time beyond regulation.
“So, you realize, simply operating by means of all these issues. There was even some extent the place you’re going, ‘OK, in the event that they rating with ample time on the clock, how can we wish to deal with the two-minute state of affairs?’ Nevertheless 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 dropping 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 harm), 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 consequence was superior to see our guys play actually arduous and play poised, proper right down to the top,” Mortensen mentioned.
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 12 months, it was exuberant,” Ingram mentioned. “Like a positively emotional afternoon to see the gamers’ and the coaches’ and the followers’ faces and the way excited they have been. Gosh, oh man, it felt actually good.”
Mortensen referred to as Ingram on Thursday night time and mentioned, “Memphis is absolutely good.”
“My plan is to attempt to gradual the sport down as greatest I can to mitigate what they’re doing,” Mortensen instructed him. “You understand, in the event that they don’t have the ball, then they’ll’t rating. And even when we don’t rating, we will 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’s 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 have been extra deliberate and affected person. They nonetheless didn’t huddle more often than not, however they didn’t 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 up to now. The Blazers have been penalized 13 occasions for 110 yards in a 56-24 loss at Tennessee, 11 occasions for 73 yards in a 31-13 loss in opposition to Military, and 15 occasions for 128 yards in a 53-33 loss at Florida Atlantic.
That they had solely six penalties for 47 yards in opposition to Memphis.
“They have been all possibly a bit of bit extra assured of their assignments on offense,” Ingram mentioned. “Whenever you go hurry-up, you higher know what you’re doing. There’s no room for error; your margin for error actually shrinks. And by slowing down, I simply suppose there was this, like, ‘OK, all people, deep breath.'”
Ingram made the choice to fireplace Dilfer the day after the loss at Florida Atlantic dropped the Blazers’ report to 2-4.
Dilfer, a former Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterback and ESPN analyst, had a 9-21 report in two-plus seasons at UAB.
“Trent mentioned to the crew after the FAU sport, ‘I don’t suppose you’re a foul soccer crew. You’re simply not enjoying good soccer,'” Ingram mentioned. “I agree with that as a result of there have been moments the place we scored or had a pleasant defensive sequence, and I believed, ‘Gosh, if we might simply maintain enjoying like that, we’ll win a whole lot of soccer video games, you realize?’ 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 beneficial 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 received three nationwide championships and went 115-12 whereas he was there.
“I believed he was one of many smartest folks that ever was concerned in our program,” former Alabama coach Nick Saban mentioned. “He actually understood soccer, had nice data and good instructing 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 faculty 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 way in which.
“He had actually good data of the place, technically,” Saban mentioned. “He was simply made out of the proper stuff. He was not a giant ego man and by no means obtained affected by all that stuff. He was a very good trainer and helped develop a whole lot of good gamers.”
Saban mentioned Mortensen stayed with him for practically a decade as a result of different faculties weren’t keen to present him an opportunity till Dilfer did.
“He might by no means break by means of and get a possibility as a result of all people would at all times say, ‘Effectively, you want expertise,'” Saban mentioned. “However he’s an instance of a man that had super resiliency professionally to persevere by means of the ups and downs and keep it up and dangle in there. He believed in himself and ready himself in order that when he did get a possibility, he would have the ability to reap the benefits of it, and he actually did that.”
One one who wasn’t shocked by Mortensen’s potential to stay unflappable and targeted within the remaining minutes of UAB’s victory in opposition to 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 mentioned. “[Alex] obtained up there — and it’s his father and an important determine in his life — and he was as calm and composed as anyone might ever hope to be. I by no means might 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 in the course of the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame’s enshrinement ceremony in August that 12 months.
Chris Mortensen was recognized with Stage 4 throat most cancers in January 2016. He stepped away from his function at ESPN in 2023.
“There wasn’t something that made Mort any happier than Alex,” Schefter mentioned. “When he sort of scaled again [from work], he wished to look at Alex’s groups, and he wished to look at Alex coach. That was the hope. That’s what he wished to do along with his free time. I can’t overstate how a lot he cherished 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 good friend’s solely baby information his crew to one of many greatest upsets of the season, he texted with a few ESPN colleagues.
At one level in the course of the sport, Schefter wrote, “I can’t consider how a lot I care about this sport.”
Somebody replied: “That’s what love does for you.”
“We love Mort, and we love Alex,” Schefter mentioned. “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 help him from afar.”
Alex Mortensen thought loads 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 mentioned. “I used to hunt his counsel on a whole lot of issues, and so I’m at all times questioning what he would inform me. Saturday was positively no totally different.”
After Burton took a knee within the victory formation to complete UAB’s gorgeous 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: “Blissful tears,” with a coronary heart emoji.