Bill Battle facts for kids
Battle from the 1973 Volunteer
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| 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 (born December 8, 1941 – died November 28, 2024) was an important person in American college sports. He was a football coach and also managed sports programs at universities. From 2013 to 2017, he was the athletic director at the University of Alabama. This means he was in charge of all the sports teams and programs at the university. He took over from another director named Mal Moore.
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Bill Battle's Career in College Sports
Bill Battle had many roles in college sports. He was a college football player and a coach. He also worked as a business executive in sports licensing.
Becoming a Head Coach
From 1970 to 1976, Bill Battle was the head football coach at the University of Tennessee. When he started, he was only 29 years old. This made him the youngest head coach in college football at that time.
Battle was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He also graduated from the University of Alabama. He was one of many players and assistant coaches who learned from the famous coach Bear Bryant. Many of Bryant's former players later became head coaches themselves.
Coaching Record and Moving On
During his seven seasons at Tennessee, Battle's teams had a good record of 59 wins, 22 losses, and 2 ties. Even with this strong record, he left the team after the 1976 season. This allowed Johnny Majors, a famous former player for Tennessee, to return and coach his old team. Majors had just led another team, Pittsburgh, to a national championship.
Starting a Sports Business
Bill Battle also created and led a company called The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC). He started this company in 1981. His idea was to help universities and sports teams make money from their logos and names.
One of his first big deals was with Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. The University of Alabama was the very first university to sign up with CLC. In 1983, Battle moved his new company to Atlanta, Georgia. CLC became a very successful company that helped many colleges manage their brands.
Other Contributions to Football
Battle was also part of a group that voted in the Harris Interactive College Football Poll. This poll helped rank the best college football teams in the country.
Bill Battle's Personal Life
Bill Battle was born in Birmingham, Alabama. His father, William Raines "Bill" Battle Jr., was also involved in college sports. He was the athletic director at Birmingham–Southern College for many years. Bill Battle's grandfather, William Raines Battle, was a Methodist minister.
In 1962, Bill Battle was honored by being inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa. This is a national honor society for leaders at the University of Alabama. He passed away on November 28, 2024.
Images for kids
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Bill Battle from the 1973 Volunteer
