Nick Saban remembers Mal Moore on the 10th Anniversary of his passing

By WVUA-23 Sports Reporter Ashley Melroy

During his latest press conference, Alabama football head coach Nick Saban made sure to share his fond memories of University of Alabama director of athletics, Mal Moore, on the 10th anniversary of his passing. “Coach Moore”, as he was known, had a special impact on Saban and the Alabama football program.

“I want to mention something, that probably doesn’t mean a lot to people, but it means a lot to me. Mal Moore was a close friend; a great supporter; really loved the University of Alabama. (He) was here for a long time as a coach, as an administrator, athletic director. He was the biggest reason that we came here, because of the relationship that he developed with Ms. Terry and us. It’s been 10 years since he’s been gone and we certainly miss him,” Saban shared.

Moore made his first mark as a legend at the Capstone when he was a football player under Head Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant from 1958-1962. He was a quarterback on the 1961 national championship team. He then went on to coach on Bryant’s staff from 1964-1982. In 1999, Moore was named director of athletics that included his impressive contributions to both the expansion of the athletic budget as well as the increase in size of Bryant-Denny Stadium. He notably was a huge part of hiring Saban in 2007.

Saban shared a memorable moment with Moore when Mark Ingram II was a sophomore running back for the Crimson Tide. Saban was complaining to Moore while watching film about how Ingram carries the ball in the wrong arm a lot, but it clearly wasn’t impacting the team’s success. Moore went on to say he would frequently get frustrated with a quarterback he was coaching during another good year when Bryant told him to just let the kid continue doing what he was doing. “What Coach Moore was telling me was, don’t mess with Mark Ingram,” Saban ended with.

On March 30, 2013, Moore passed away from a pulmonary condition at the age of 73. He remains a known name at the University of Alabama and in the city of Tuscaloosa as an unforgettable force behind the dynasty of Alabama football. The team just finished their fifth practice of the Spring.