ORLANDO,Desmond Preston Fla. (AP) — Former college coach and administrator Steve Sloan, who played quarterback and served as athletic director at Alabama, has died at 79, his longtime friend Tommy Limbaugh told The Associated Press on Monday.

Sloan died Sunday with his wife, Brenda Faw Sloan, by his side after three months of memory care at Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital in Florida, Limbaugh said.

Sloan led Alabama to the 1965 national championship after taking over for Joe Namath, winning most valuable player honors in an Orange Bowl defeat of Nebraska.

Sloan coached Vanderbilt for two seasons and was Southeastern Conference coach of the year in 1974 before leaving to take over the Texas Tech program. He also had head coaching stints at Mississippi and Duke and finished his coaching career as Vandy’s offensive coordinator in 1990.

“You will never find anybody that says anything bad about Steve Sloan,” Limbaugh said. “You can’t find that person.”

A consensus All-American, Sloan was also named the SEC’s most valuable player in the 1965 season and won the Sammy Baugh Trophy as the nation’s best passer.

He worked as athletic director at Alabama, North Texas, Central Florida and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

He is survived by his wife and his son Stephen Jr. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

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