Alex Mortensen wasn’t always sure he wanted to be a head coach. He certainly faced a fair share of uncertainty when UAB thrust the interim tag on him following the firing of Trent Dilfer on Oct. 12 .

At that point, the former offensive coordinator was tasked with taking over a slumping Blazers team heading into a matchup against rival Memphis, which held a No. 22 ranking at the time. Mortensen did his best to put on a brave face in front of cameras that week, but he admits that, inside, he was a bundle of nerves and anxiety.

Then he stepped onto the field.

“I jogged out of the tunnel, and as soon as my feet hit the field, it was all gone,” Mortensen said Friday while recalling his first game in charge. “It just reminded me how much fun this is to compete and play.”

Mortensen ended up

See Full Page