Coach Mal Moore: A Crimson Cornerstone

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Today is a day of celebration. Today we celebrate the life of Mal M. Moore. Yes, this celebration will bring a few tears and require many deep breaths. Sadness at this time is not, however, a reflection of what went wrong, but how much went right. We, The University of Alabama, had the pleasure, privilege, and opportunity to be a part of the magic that Coach Mal Moore performed during his tenure as a student, player, coach, and athletic director at Alabama. Let’s take a short walk through the long and glorious life that Coach Moore led. Did Coach Moore help build the dynasty we now know as Alabama football? Absolutely. And he did so much more for this town. For this university. For the fans.

Most of us remember Coach Moore as the man who refused to fly back to Tuscaloosa unless he had Nick Saban on the jet. While one can easily argue this was the pinnacle of his career, I would say there is much more to his legacy than one hire.

Mal was born in Dozier, Alabama. The Moore family had seven children, so it is fair to say Mr. Moore had to fight his way to the top. He started his long and illustrious career at Alabama as the backup quarterback behind Pat Trammell and then he continued backing up Joe Namath once Trammell was gone. The entire time under the tutelage of Coach Bear Bryant.  In this day and age, how often do we see a young man, full of ambition and talent, wait patiently on sidelines for his opportunity? The opportunity he knows very well may never come. This type of patience is rare. A man with this amount of patience shows how much poise, integrity, and love young Mal already had for the university at that point. Moore’s resilience continued and showed through like that of single strong ray of sunshine during a cloudy day. Mal would not let his inability to consistently start for Alabama cause him to lose interest in the game or lose respect for Coach Bryant. The love for the ability to spread so much more than x’s and o’s to players. In fact, after Mr. Moore completed his bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1963, he went on to complete his master’s degree in secondary education the following year.  It is obvious by this time that Mal Moore had not just fallen in love with the game, but also in love with the chance to help shape the lives of young people on and off the field.

His dedication to the University of Alabama and helping young people was reflected in his coaching career. During a coaching career that spanned 31 years, Moore spent 22 of those at Alabama with stops at Montana State, Notre Dame and the NFL’s St. Louis and Phoenix Cardinals. At Alabama, Moore began as Bryant’s graduate assistant in 1964, then as defensive backfield coach for six seasons (1965–70) before becoming quarterbacks coach from 1971–82 and serving as the Tide’s offensive coordinator starting in 1975. Moore was the only offensive coordinator ever named by head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant and was instrumental in the installation and implementation of the wishbone offense at Alabama prior to the 1971 season. The move to the wishbone led to an unprecedented decade of success for Bryant and the Crimson Tide. During the wishbone era, Alabama set school records that still stand for yards gained per game (480.7 in 1973), rushing attempts in a season (763 in 1979), rushing yards gained in a season (4,027 in 1973), rushing yards per game for a season (366.1 in 1973), yards per rush for a season (6.06 in 1973), rushing touchdowns (43 in 1973), passing yards per attempt for a season (13.4 in 1973), fewest punts in a season (39 in 1973), rushing first downs in a season (213 in 1979), total offense in a game (833 vs. Virginia Tech in 1973) and rushing yards in a game (748 vs. Virginia Tech in 1973). Moore returned as offensive coordinator under Gene Stallings from 1990-93 before moving into athletic administration.

In 1994, Moore moved into the UA Athletic Department as one of the many legacy projects placed in assistant athletic director positions. An enormously popular figure in the history of University of Alabama athletics, Mal Moore’s personal style as Director of Athletics from 1999-2013 generated devotion from the University community at-large, as well as the employees of the department that he oversaw.

After building an impeccable reputation as an assistant football coach at Alabama, Notre Dame and in the National Football League, Moore’s enormous success as an athletics administrator was largely personal, as he skillfully and successfully dealt with issues and initiatives that required the cooperation of numerous campus and statewide entities. Moore’s superb talent for gaining the respect and affection of those he worked with, as well as those that worked for him, revealed him to be the man perfectly suited to guide Alabama Athletics through a turbulent period into an era of unprecedented success and prosperity.

Moore possessed a gift for inspiring confidence by harmonizing diverse groups and disparate personalities into a smoothly functioning coalition. Moore’s term as Director of Athletics was a personal triumph. The good-natured sincerity with which he conducted business created an uncomplicated atmosphere that disarmed potential critics and comforted his employees. Bestowed with the power to lead, he did so through a spirit of conciliation and persuasion. Mal Moore had the ability to make complex issues simple and this allowed his department to focus on the job at hand.

During his time as athletic director of The University of Alabama, Moore’s beautiful wife fell ill with Alzheimer’s disease – something most of us would use an excuse to withdraw from the spotlight and be with the one we loved for as long as they remember us.  Throughout this terrible time, Mr. Moore – strike that he deserves more respect than the title “Mr.” Coach Moore continued to lead Alabama to titles and victories throughout several sports. He split his time between the two loves of his life: family and Alabama Athletics.

I could sit here and continue to write an article Wikipedia style, but that isn’t what we need today. What we need today is to remember the man who helped built a University. A man who metaphorically took each brick in hand and applied the mortar. A man who bled crimson. A man who put the students above all else. A man who should not only be remembered for the $240 million in renovations, but for the love he had for his family, the students, and the success of the athletic programs of Alabama. Today we mourn not the loss of one man, but celebrate one of the few cornerstones that made Alabama what it is today. Thank you Coach Mal Moore. Thanks for giving us your life and I can only hope while you sit up there next to Coach Bryant that you two continue to critique and guide us in the right direction – not only on the field/court, but also throughout life. You’re a man we lost too soon, but will never be forgotten.

There is no way to thank you and your family enough, but one day I plan to shake your hand and tell you man to man. Roll Tide, Coach Moore.

Thanks to Kelly Pullen for the feature image

Author: Clay

Twitter: @SabanSays

Email: SabanSays@TheHoundztooth.com