Bill Battle
 Battle from the 1973 Volunteer | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 8, 1941 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | November 28, 2024 (aged 82) |
| Playing career | |
| 1960–1962 | Alabama |
| Position(s) | End |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1964–1965 | Army (assistant) |
| 1966–1969 | Tennessee (ends) |
| 1970–1976 | Tennessee |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 2013–2017 | Alabama |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 59–22–2 |
| Bowls | 4–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| National (1961) | |
William Raines Battle III (December 8, 1941 – November 28, 2024) was an American college athletics administrator, football coach, and sports marketing businessman. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide and was head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers. Battle later served as athletic director at Alabama.
Career
[edit]Battle played college football for Alabama from 1960 to 1962, as an offensive end.[1] Battle was one of many of Bear Bryant's former players and assistant coaches who later became head coaches.[2]
After graduation, he became an assistant football coach at Army (1964-1965), and then moved to Tennessee as offensive ends coach (1966-1969).[3] When Doug Dickey left for Florida in 1970, Battle succeeded him as head football coach at Tennessee.[4] At the time he began as head coach, he was at 28 the youngest college head coach in the country.[5]
Battle had a 39-9 record in his first four years (1970-1973), but failed to continue Dickey's record of winning or contending for the Southeastern Conference championship. In the next three years (1974-1976), Tennessee was 20-13-2 (7-10-1 in conference play), and finished 8th in 1976.
Despite a 59–22–2 record in seven seasons, Battle was forced out after the 1976 season. He was replaced by Volunteer legend Johnny Majors, who had led Pittsburgh to the 1976 national championship.[6][7]
Battle left coaching to work in sports licensing. In 1981, while working for Golden Eagle Enterprises in Selma, Alabama, Battle signed Bear Bryant to a licensing agreement.[8] That year he founded Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC). The University of Alabama signed on as CLC's first university client. In 1983, Battle moved the company to Atlanta, Georgia.[citation needed]
In 2013, Alabama President Judy L. Bonner appointed him athletic director. He succeeded long-time director Mal Moore, who stepped down for health reasons at age 73.[citation needed] He retired as AD in 2017.
Battle was also a member of the group that votes in the Harris Interactive College Football Poll.[9]
Personal life and death
[edit]Battle was born in Birmingham, Alabama.[10] Battle's father, William Raines "Bill" Battle Jr., was athletic director at Birmingham–Southern College from 1952 to 1974.[11] His grandfather William Raines Battle was a Methodist minister.[12]
In 1962, Battle was inducted into the Alabama chapter of "National Leadership Honor Society" Omicron Delta Kappa.[13]
Battle died November 28, 2024, at the age of 82.[14]
Head coaching record
[edit]| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Volunteers (Southeastern Conference) (1970–1976) | |||||||||
| 1970 | Tennessee | 11–1 | 4–1 | 2nd | W Sugar | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1971 | Tennessee | 10–2 | 4–2 | T–4th | W Liberty | 9 | 9 | ||
| 1972 | Tennessee | 10–2 | 4–2 | 4th | W Astro-Bluebonnet | 11 | 8 | ||
| 1973 | Tennessee | 8–4 | 3–3 | 4th | L Gator | 19 | |||
| 1974 | Tennessee | 7–3–2 | 2–3–1 | T–7th | W Liberty | 15 | 20 | ||
| 1975 | Tennessee | 7–5 | 3–3 | 5th | |||||
| 1976 | Tennessee | 6–5 | 2–4 | 8th | |||||
| Tennessee: | 59–22–2 | 22–18–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 59–22–2 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ Football Archives rolltide.com
- ^ Deas, Tommy (September 10, 2013). "BRYANT'S 100TH BIRTHDAY: The coaching tree". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Kausler Jr., Don (April 10, 2013). "Before Bill Battle played at Alabama, he was put on the fast track to success". AL.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Lay, Ken (May 27, 2020). "Vols' football history 1970–1976: Head coach Bill Battle". Vols Wire. USA Today. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ "Bill Battle – General". National Football Foundation. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ White Jr., Gordon S. (December 7, 1976). "Tennessee Player Tells of Coach Battle's Plight". The New York Times. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ White Jr., Gordon S. (November 23, 1976). "Tennessee Eyes Majors As Battle Resigns Post". The New York Times. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ Smith, Michael (March 26, 2012). "Champions: Bill Battle, licensing icon". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ "Harris poll has star-studded panel". Gainesville Sun. Associated Press. August 23, 2005. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ "Bill Battle". University of Alabama. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
- ^ Crenshaw Jr., Solomon (March 21, 2013). "Birmingham has a connection to Bill Battle, who will be recommended to be next AD at Alabama". Birmingham News. AL.com. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
- ^ Spann, Kevin. "Laurie C. Battle". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
- ^ "Notable Members". Omicron Delta Kappa. October 8, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
- ^ Taylor, Noah (November 28, 2024). "Former Tennessee head coach Bill Battle dies". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
External links
[edit]- 1941 births
- 2024 deaths
- American football ends
- Alabama Crimson Tide athletic directors
- Alabama Crimson Tide football players
- Army Black Knights football coaches
- Tennessee Volunteers football coaches
- Sportspeople from Birmingham, Alabama
- Players of American football from Birmingham, Alabama
- 20th-century American sportsmen