HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

by Duane Rankin, USA TODAY Sports

TUSCALOOSA – Mal Moore started his personal relationship with Nick Saban the right way.

He got in good with his wife.

“I’ve told the story before,” Saban said. “I wasn’t even going to talk to him. I called Terry and said, ‘I don’t think I’m going to talk to these guys’ and she said, ‘Oh, Mal is already here. We’ve been talking for an hour.’ So that was his first step in the right direction.”

Since hiring him from the Miami Dolphins in January of 2007, Moore has become more than just Nick Saban’s athletic director at Alabama.

“Mal has really become a good friend and someone that I have a tremendous amount of respect for,” Saban said.

On Wednesday, the school announced Moore will step down from his position as athletic director. The 73-year-old Moore has spent the last week in Duke University Medical Center as doctors continue to look for treatment options for a serious pulmonary illness that could result in long-term hospital care. Moore will continue to serve the university as a special assistant to university president Judy Bonner.

“Due to factors related to my health, I am at a point that I can no longer fulfill my duties as athletic director in the true championship manner the position requires,” said Moore in the news release. “While I have to focus on my health issue, I look forward to maintaining an ongoing working relationship with this great university as special assistant to Dr. Bonner.”

Since stepping on campus as a freshman quarterback from Dozier High in 1958, Moore has spent all but eight of the last 56 years at Alabama, including the last 20 in administration. He played a reserve role at quarterback on the 1961 national championship team under Paul “Bear” Bryant, served as a graduate assistant under Bryant on the 1964 championship team, coached the secondary the following year on a national championship team, served as quarterbacks coach on the 1973 national championship team and added the role of offensive coordinator for the national championship years of 1978 and 1979.

After Bryant retired following the 1982 season, Moore went to Notre Dame, where … [For more on Longtime Alabama AD Mal Moore steps down, click here.]