Career
Mortensen enrolled at the University of Southern California ( University of Southern California) in 1928. In basketball, he was selected as an All-Pacific Coast Conference player in 1928 and 1930. In track and field, Mortensen was captain of the 1930 National Collegiate Athletic Association championship track team
After graduating from University of Southern California, Mortensen held coaching positions at Riverside Junior College, with the United States Navy during World World War II, and after the war at the University of Denver and the United States Military Academy.
He returned to become coach of the University of Southern California track and field team in 1951. He led the University of Southern California Trojans to seven National Collegiate Athletic Association titles in his 11 years as coach (1951–1961).
His teams never lost a dual meet (64-0) and never finished worse than second in the conference meet. He was an assistant United States. men"s track coach in the 1956 Olympics.
He also served as an assistant football coach at University of Southern California from 1951 to 1955.
He coached track at the University of Denver and the United States Military Academy.
