University of Alabama President Judy Bonner announced today she will recommend to the Chancellor and Board of Trustees approval of hiring of Bill Battle as athletic director. The announcement comes on the heels that Mal Moore, Alabama’s athletic director since 1999, was stepping down from his position Wednesday.

Bonner said she felt Battle is the best-available person to replace Moore. Indeed, Battle has had extensive coaching playing and coaching experience at numerous institutions. He was Moore’s teammate on legendary head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s first national championship team at Alabama.

Battle started for three years for Alabama, from 1960-62. After graduation, Battle served as a graduate assistant coach at Oklahoma under Bud Wilkinson. Battle was also an assistant coach at the United States Military Academy while he served a two-year tour in 1965-65.

In 1966, he moved to the University of Tennessee, where he was an assistant coach for four years before being named head coach in 1970. Over his seven-year tenure, his team went 59-22-2.

Moore said he was pleased with the hiring of Battle as the new athletic director.

“When it became apparent that I was no longer going to be able to direct the Athletics Department,” Moore said, “I felt that Bill Battle was the one person who could sustain all the good things that have happened the past few years while also moving us forward with planned improvements.”

Although Battle had the support of numerous people inside the organization, he did not immediately wish to accept the position.

“When the University reached out to me, my instinct was to say no,” Battle said. “However, after speaking with Dr. Bonner, Dr. Witt, Coach Saban, Mal and Paul Bryant, and seeing what I’ve seen at the University, I couldn’t find a way to say no.”

The Board of Trustees Executive Committee will convene in a conference call Friday morning at 10 a.m. to discuss Battle’s recommendation.