Mal is one of the last of the "old school" AD's. A former football player and coach with unquestioned love and loyalty to the school, but perhaps a step or two behind the times in terms of running a full scale athletic department at a championship level for all sports, including women's and non-revenue men's teams.
In January 2007, Mal was in desperate shape. He had just presided over probably the worst 5 years in the history of Bama athletics (not his fault, but happened on his watch). With the prestige of the entire athletic department at stake, Alabama had just been humiliated by a buffoon named Rich Rodriguez. Finally, and thankfully, he pulled off a true coup by getting Saban -- probably one of the 2 or 3 best hires in all of college football in the last 10-15 years.
Thus, he cemented a great legacy for the top sports -- two expansions of Bryant-Denny Stadium, putting the football program back among the nation's elite, and positioning basketball to prosper under Coach Grant. He can retire happy in a few years, beloved by all. And I hope Bama will name more of a 21st century business CEO type as his successor.
