Mal M. Moore, 1939 - 2013

Moore 001.jpg

Title

Mal M. Moore, 1939 - 2013

Subject

University of Alabama
Athletic directors--Alabama
Moore, Mal M, 1939-2013

Description

Moore grew up on a small farm in Dozier, a little town in Crenshaw County, Alabama, next to the youngest of seven children.

In tiny Dozier High School he played all three sports that were offered: football, baseball and basketball. A high school quarterback, Moore was recruited by Alabama, Auburn and Georgia; he chose Alabama. Also new on campus in 1958 when Moore came to Alabama was first-year head football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.

The 1961 team won the national championship, the first of eight national titles Moore would be a part of as a player, coach or athletic director.

As his college career drew to a close, Moore wanted to coach. Bryant put him in touch with Jim Sweeney, recently named the Montana State University head coach. Sweeney needed a defensive backs coach and would welcome a former Alabama player to his staff.

Moore returned to Tuscaloosa in 1964 as a graduate assistant on Bryant's staff and would spend 19 years with Bryant, first coaching defensive backs, then quarterbacks and finally serving eight years as offensive coordinator.

When Bryant retired, Moore joined the staff at Notre Dame. Gene Stallings, new head coach of the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals, hired him away from Notre Dame to coach tight ends and receivers.

Moore returned to college football at Alabama when Stallings became the head coach. Moore was the offensive coordinator when the 1990 team won another national title. His coaching days ended when his beloved wife Charlotte was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He couldn't coach and give her the attention she needed. Gene Stallings and then-athletic director Hootie Ingram helped him make the transition to administration. His skills were a good fit for the job.

During his tenure, Bryant-Denny Stadium would be enhanced and enlarged and Moore oversaw more than $200,000 million of capital improvements to Alabama athletic facilities.

Moore resigned on March 20, 2013, and died ten days later at age 73.

Dr. Robert Witt, former president of the University of Alabama, called Moore "the most successful and admired athletic director in the history of the university." (Information from Tuscaloosa magazine and The Tuscaloosa News)

Creator

Tuscaloosa News

Source

Tuscaloosa News

Publisher

Tuscaloosa News

Date

2013

Contributor

Taylor Watson (Description)

Type

Photograph

Identifier

1256

Coverage

Tuscaloosa (AL)

Original Format

Photograph