Alabama Crimson Tide

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Bill Battle won't begin the task of replacing former Alabama athletic director Mal Moore with a splash. By the looks of it, he's not one to rock the boat.

The 71-year-old former player, coach and businessman said he's not determined to make his presence felt in the athletic department right away. For now, he's content following the blueprint Moore laid out, the one that has yielded eight national championships since 2002.

"How do you improve on success?" he asked, mirroring a reporter's question on Friday. "You don't. You try to keep going the way you're going."

That means giving his coaches the resources to continue operating at a high level. Before he ever took the job, Battle said he met with football coach Nick Saban.

"The relationship of anybody at the University of Alabama and Coach Saban is important because coach Saban is important," he said. "What he’s done in football, not many people have done in college sports. He’s gotten ahead of the field.

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Not surprisingly, Alabama is bringing back one of its own to run the athletic department.

Not only that, but the Crimson Tide have turned to a former football coach to call the shots.

Why mess with a successful blueprint, right?

It certainly worked well with Mal Moore, who retired Wednesday to deal with health issues. Moore, 73, has a pulmonary condition and has been hospitalized at Duke University Medical Center since last week. On his watch, the Crimson Tide have put together an historic run in football with three national championships in the past four years.

Moore now turns over the keys to his beloved athletic department to one of his oldest friends and colleagues.

Alabama president Judy Bonner has recommended that Bill Battle, who played with Moore at Alabama under Paul "Bear" Bryant, replace Moore as Alabama's athletic director. The Alabama board of trustees will meet on Friday to finalize Battle's hiring.

Moore personally endorsed Battle, who was a three-year starter for the Tide from 1960-62.

There's also a bit of irony here. Battle was the head coach for seven seasons at one of Alabama's fiercest rivals -- Tennessee. Battle was only 28 when he landed the Tennessee gig and beat Bryant and Alabama in his first season with the Vols in 1970, but lost the next six. Four of those losses were by 17 points or more, and that losing streak to Alabama was a factor in Battle's ouster following the 1976 season.

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