New AD at Alabama

[ricepig]

https://twitter.com/FootballScoop/status/820829071202549765


http://footballscoop.com/news/reports-alabama-hire-greg-byrne-away-arizona/

[jbcarol]

Bill Battle era wasn't expected to extend beyond his four-year contract

Now, it appears his replacement is already selected

Greg Byrne, the athletics director at Arizona, will replace Battle, the Arizona Daily Star first reported Sunday night. Messages for Alabama officials were not immediately returned.

The school later released a statement confirming Battle would be retiring from his position. He will start a new job as special assistant to university president Stuart Bell.

Battle, 75, signed a four-year contract when succeeding Mal Moore in 2013. Battle is battling multiple myeloma, a form of cancer that led to a leave of absence late last summer.

Byrne has been Arizona's AD since 2010 and has experience in the Southeastern Conference. He was the Mississippi State AD from 2008-10 after serving in the administration at Kentucky from 2002-05. His father, Bill Byrne, was the AD at Texas A&M from 2003-12.

At 45 years old, Byrne would add youth to a position held by former coaches at the end of their careers.

While at Arizona, the biggest hire Byrne made was football coach Rich Rodriguez -- famously a candidate for the Alabama job before Nick Saban was hired in 2007.

Battle, a former Alabama football player and Tennessee football coach, replaced Mal Moore after his death in 2013. His biggest hire was Avery Johnson...

Byrne hired Dan Mullen at State.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/821429242688839680

News Sunday that Greg Byrne would be Alabama's new athletic director caught many off-guard considering Battle hadn't announced any plans of stepping down. But it was a culmination of months of meticulous planning, a strong desire to keep all proceedings quiet and a mindset that Alabama should hire the best candidate, with or without ties to the school...

Battle took a leave of absence in June for treatment of myeloma, an incurable form of cancer, Alabama officials started to put together a list of possible athletic director candidates. Battle had a year left on his contract, and Alabama wanted to be prepared if he left the job early. Battle is now expected to serve as AD until March before assuming a new role as special assistant to university president Bell.