Former University of Alabama athletic director Mal Moore died on Saturday at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., the school announced. He was 73. Moore was a part of Alabama athletics for five decades dating to his time as a backup quarterback under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant in the 1960s. He was a part of 10 national championships as a player, coach and administrator at UA. Moore stepped down as the school's athletic director on March 20, citing poor health. He was struggling with a lung condition that required a lung transplant, according to new UA athletic director Bill Battle, who took the job just two days after Moore announced his resignation. "The University of Alabama and the world of intercollegiate athletics have lost a legend, and I have lost a dear friend," Battle said in a statement. "My heart goes out to his family and close friends in this time of sadness. After a time of grieving, we can begin to celebrate Mal's life, as his legacy will last for generations." A native of the small town of Dozier, Ala., Moore earned his undergraduate and master's degree from Alabama. In 2011, he was elected to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of a career that spanned some six decades. He called the selection an "unbelievable honor" at the time. Moore coached running backs at Notre Dame for five seasons before becoming an assistant with the St. Louis and Phoenix Cardinals of the NFL. Like the coach he'd hire at Alabama, Nick Saban, he would look back on his time in the professional game as being out of place. He longed for the collegial atmosphere of Alabama and the personal relationships he was able to foster while there. "I used to tell people nobody in St. Louis or Phoenix, nobody would ever come by to see us," he told ESPN's TideNation in late December. "You know why? Because nobody gives a damn. Here, brother, they love their university. It's important." Read more http://espn.go.com/college-football...labama-crimson-tide-athletic-director-dies-73
