Nick Saban opens up on the lessons he learned from Mal Moore

Nick Saban recalled that he really wanted then-sophomore running back Mark Ingram to carry the ball in the correct hand more often, to shield it from defenders. Watching film of Ingram on a Sunday more than a decade ago, he aired that complaint with then-Alabama athletic director Mal Moore.

Speaking at a spring football press conference recently — and on the 10-year anniversary of Moore’s death — Saban recalled the advice he got that day. Moore shared a story about the time he, as the Alabama quarterbacks coach, approached then-head coach Bear Bryant about changing a quarterback’s throwing motion.

“He said, ‘I told coach Bryant that if he did something different with his throwing motion, it would really make him a better passer.’ And coach Bryant looked at him and said, ‘Don’t mess with the guy.’ So what coach Moore was telling me was, ‘Don’t mess with Mark Ingram,'” Saban said.

Things of course worked out well for Ingram at Alabama and beyond, and Saban continued to soak in everything he could from Moore.

“But he used to tell me stories like that about players all the time, from the past. So I enjoyed it so much. I probably didn’t tell the story very well, but it was a lesson learned that sometimes really good players, they might not do things exactly like you want them too,” Saban said. “But if they’re productive, it’s not worth changing them.”

Saban had originally brought up Moore at the beginning of his press conference, noting that without Moore, he might not have come to Alabama in the first place. From being a coach to an administrator and moreover a friend, Saban holds immense gratitude for him.

From being a main reason Saban came to Alabama to his support along the way, it’s safe to say Moore was as integral as anyone to setting in motion the recent golden era of Crimson Tide football.

“Good friend. Great supporter. Really loved the university of Alabama. Was here for a long, long time as a coach, administrator, athletic director. Probably he was the biggest reason that we came here. Because of the relationship he developed with Ms. Terry and us and I think it’s been 10 years since he’s been gone and we certainly miss him. Can’t tell you how many things that are great sort of lessons and how much gratitude we have for the lessons I learned from him. And the things he did to support, to help the program and help us get it turned around. Just a thought that everybody might say a prayer for Mal,” Saban said.