Bill Battle
{{Short description|American football player and coach (1941–2024)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Bill Battle
| image = Bill_Battle.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Battle from the 1973 Volunteer
| current_title =
| current_team =
| current_conference =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1941|12|8}}
| birth_place = Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|11|28|1941|12|8}}
| death_place =
| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 1960–1962
| player_team1 = Alabama
| player_positions = End
| coach_years1 = 1964–1965
| coach_team1 = Army (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1966–1969
| coach_team2 = Tennessee (ends)
| coach_years3 = 1970–1976
| coach_team3 = Tennessee
| admin_years1 = 2013–2017
| admin_team1 = Alabama
| overall_record = 59–22–2
| bowl_record = 4–1
| tournament_record =
| championships =
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
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
Battle played college football for Alabama from 1960 to 1962, as an offensive end.[https://rolltide.com/sports/2016/6/10/sports-m-footbl-archive-m-footbl-archive-index-htm Football Archives] rolltide.com Battle was one of many of Bear Bryant's former players and assistant coaches who later became head coaches.{{Cite web |last=Deas |first=Tommy |date=September 10, 2013 |title=BRYANT'S 100TH BIRTHDAY: The coaching tree |url=https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/story/news/2013/09/11/bryants-100th-birthday-the-coaching-tree/29920068007/ |access-date=March 20, 2024 |website=The Tuscaloosa News |language=en-US}}
After graduation, he became an assistant football coach at Army (1964-1965), and then moved to Tennessee as offensive ends coach (1966-1969).{{Cite web |last=Kausler Jr. |first=Don |date=April 10, 2013 |title=Before Bill Battle played at Alabama, he was put on the fast track to success |url=https://www.al.com/sports/2013/04/before_bill_battle_played_at_a.html |access-date=March 20, 2024 |website=AL.com |language=en}} When Doug Dickey left for Florida in 1970, Battle succeeded him as head football coach at Tennessee.{{Cite web |last=Lay |first=Ken |date=May 27, 2020 |title=Vols' football history 1970–1976: Head coach Bill Battle |url=https://volswire.usatoday.com/2020/05/27/vols-football-history-1970-1976-head-coach-bill-battle/ |access-date=March 20, 2024 |website=Vols Wire|publisher=USA Today |language=en-US}} At the time he began as head coach, he was at 28 the youngest college head coach in the country.{{Cite web |title=Bill Battle – General |url=https://footballfoundation.org/sports/general/roster/bill-battle/191 |access-date=March 20, 2024 |website=National Football Foundation |language=en}}
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.{{Cite web |last=White Jr. |first=Gordon S. |date=December 7, 1976 |title=Tennessee Player Tells of Coach Battle's Plight |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/12/07/archives/tennessee-player-tells-of-coach-battles-plight.html |access-date=March 19, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}{{Cite web |last=White Jr. |first=Gordon S. |date=November 23, 1976 |title=Tennessee Eyes Majors As Battle Resigns Post |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/11/23/archives/tennessee-eyes-majors-as-battle-resigns-post.html |access-date=March 19, 2024 |website=The New York Times}}
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.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Michael |date=March 26, 2012 |title=Champions: Bill Battle, licensing icon |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2012/03/26/Champions/Battle.aspx |access-date=March 20, 2024 |website=Sports Business Journal |language=en}} 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.{{Cn|date=November 2024}}
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.{{Cn|date=November 2024}} He retired as AD in 2017.
Battle was also a member of the group that votes in the Harris Interactive College Football Poll.{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2005 |title=Harris poll has star-studded panel |url=https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2005/08/23/harris-poll-has-star-studded-panel/31700329007/ |access-date=March 20, 2024 |website=Gainesville Sun |language=en-US |agency=Associated Press}}
Personal life and death
Battle was born in Birmingham, Alabama.{{cite web|url=http://rolltide.com/staff.aspx?staff=152|title=Bill Battle|publisher=University of Alabama|access-date=January 16, 2017|archive-date=October 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005123723/http://www.rolltide.com/staff.aspx?staff=152|url-status=dead}} Battle's father, William Raines "Bill" Battle Jr., was athletic director at Birmingham–Southern College from 1952 to 1974.{{Cite web |last=Crenshaw Jr. |first=Solomon |date=March 21, 2013 |title=Birmingham has a connection to Bill Battle, who will be recommended to be next AD at Alabama |url=http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/03/birmingham_has_a_connection_to.html |access-date=January 16, 2017 |website=Birmingham News |publisher=AL.com}} His grandfather William Raines Battle was a Methodist minister.{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3624 |title=Laurie C. Battle |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Alabama |author=Spann, Kevin |access-date=January 16, 2017}}
In 1962, Battle was inducted into the Alabama chapter of "National Leadership Honor Society" Omicron Delta Kappa.{{cite web | title=Notable Members | website=Omicron Delta Kappa | date=2023-10-08 | url=https://odk.org/about-odk/history/notable-members/ | access-date=2025-01-06}}
Battle died November 28, 2024, at the age of 82.{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Noah |date=November 28, 2024 |title=Former Tennessee head coach Bill Battle dies |url=https://tennessee.rivals.com/news/former-tennessee-head-coach-bill-battle-dies |access-date=November 28, 2024 |website=Rivals.com}}
Head coaching record
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = both }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Tennessee Volunteers
| conf = Southeastern Conference
| startyear = 1970
| endyear = 1976
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1970
| name = Tennessee
| overall = 11–1
| conference = 4–1
| confstanding = 2nd
| bowlname = Sugar
| bowloutcome = W
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 4
| ranking2 = 4
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1971
| name = Tennessee
| overall = 10–2
| conference = 4–2
| confstanding = T–4th
| bowlname = Liberty
| bowloutcome = W
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 9
| ranking2 = 9
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1972
| name = Tennessee
| overall = 10–2
| conference = 4–2
| confstanding = 4th
| bowlname = Astro-Bluebonnet
| bowloutcome = W
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 11
| ranking2 = 8
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1973
| name = Tennessee
| overall = 8–4
| conference = 3–3
| confstanding = 4th
| bowlname = Gator
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = 19
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1974
| name = Tennessee
| overall = 7–3–2
| conference = 2–3–1
| confstanding = T–7th
| bowlname = Liberty
| bowloutcome = W
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 15
| ranking2 = 20
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1975
| name = Tennessee
| overall = 7–5
| conference = 3–3
| confstanding = 5th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1976
| name = Tennessee
| overall = 6–5
| conference = 2–4
| confstanding = 8th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
|name = Tennessee
|overall = 59–22–2
|confrecord = 22–18–1
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 59–22–2
| bowls = no
| poll = two
| polltype =
| legend = no
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name | 12971605}}
- [https://abhof.culverhouse.ua.edu/member/bill-battle/ Alabama Business Hall of Fame bio]
- [https://ashof.org/inductees/bill-battle/ Alabama Sports Hall of Fame bio]
- [https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/bill-battle-1.html Coaching statistics] at Sports Reference
{{Tennessee Volunteers football coach navbox}}
{{Alabama Crimson Tide athletic director navbox}}
{{1961 Alabama Crimson Tide football navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle, Bill}}
Category:American football ends
Category:Alabama Crimson Tide athletic directors
Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football players
Category:Army Black Knights football coaches
Category:Tennessee Volunteers football coaches
Category:Sportspeople from Birmingham, Alabama
Category:Players of American football from Birmingham, Alabama