Bill Battle Has Passed at the Age of 82

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The University of Alabama announced on Thursday that Bill Battle, a former national champion and athletic director, has passed.

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A Birmingham native, Battle played for the Crimson Tide football team under legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Battle was a three-year starter and contributed to the 1961 national championship.

During his tenure as a player, Battle was recognized on the UA all-decade team for the 1960s, earning first-team honors as a tight end and second-team honors as a defensive end.

“Coach Battle was a great player and top prospect in the South when he came to Alabama at a time when the program was down,” Paul Bryant Jr. said in a statement. “He started for Papa for three years including a national championship. He created the licensing industry that The University and schools nationwide still benefit from today. He was a major donor to The University. When we needed him again, he left retirement to help us as Athletic Director.”

Battle earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Alabama in 1963 and went on to receive a master’s degree from Oklahoma in 1964. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma under Bud Wilkinson.

Career History:

• Served as an assistant coach for the Army football team at the United States Military Academy in West Point for two years
• He then joined Tennessee as an assistant coach for four years before becoming the head coach in 1970, making him the youngest head coach in modern Southeastern Conference history (was 29 when he took the head coaching position). Over seven seasons, he complied a record of 59-22-2 and led the Volunteers to four bowl victories in five appearances, including a notable win against Bryant's Alabama team in his inaugural season.
• After coaching at Tennessee, he established the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) in 1981, where he served as president and CEO for 21 years.
• Battle later returned to serve as athletic director at Alabama from 2013-2017, a period during which the university secured three national championships, 10 SEC championships across five sports, along with 15 individual national champions. He succeeded Mal Moore in this role.

Accolades:

• Lifetime achievement award from the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame
• Inducted into Alabama's Hall of Fame in 1981
• The National Collegiate Licensing Association Hall of Fame
• The Alabama Business Hall of Fame
• 2005 Paul W. Bryant Alumni Athlete Award
• His most distinguished recognition is the naming of Alabama's strength and conditioning complex in his honor

Battle was a man of great respect, and following his passing, numerous individuals shared only positive remarks about him. “Bill Battle was first class in every way. He represented The University of Alabama with tremendous character and integrity. He was an outstanding football player at Alabama, a successful collegiate head coach and visionary who revolutionized the business of college athletics. I got to know him best when he returned to direct the Alabama athletics department where his vision and leadership were driving factors in the Crimson Tide’s success that resulted in our 2015 national championship. Terry and I are saddened by his passing and our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Mary and their entire family. He will be deeply missed” said former Alabama football coach Nick Saban in a statement.

“Bill Battle’s legacy at The University of Alabama is profound and enduring,” UA president Stuart R. Bell said in a statement. “His generosity and visionary leadership elevated our institution and enriched the lives of countless students and colleagues. His dedication to excellence and steadfast devotion to UA will inspire generations to come. We are forever grateful for his friendship and his lasting impact on our community.”

He is now the third former athletic director of Alabama to have passed this year, with Steve Sloan, who passed away in April at the age of 79, and Cecil "Hootie" Ingram, who passed in May at 90.