Bill Battle, who won a national championship as an Alabama football player and later became the university’s athletics director after a successful business career, has passed away, UA announced on Thursday. He was 82.
Battle, a Birmingham native, played under Paul “Bear” Bryant from 1960-62, starting for three years. Alabama won the national championship in 1961, and Battle’s contributions earned him a place on the UA all-decade team for the 1960s, as a tight end (first team) and a defensive end (second team).
“Coach Battle was an exceptional player and a top prospect when he came to Alabama during a challenging time for the program,” Paul Bryant Jr. said in a statement. “He started for Coach Bryant for three years, including a national championship, and he helped create the licensing industry that benefits The University and schools nationwide today. He was a major donor and returned from retirement to serve as Athletics Director when we needed him.”
In 2013, Battle returned to UA to serve as athletics director. Over his four years in that role, Alabama won three national championships, 10 SEC championships across five sports, and had 15 individual national champions, among other achievements.
“Bill Battle was class personified,” said former Alabama football coach Nick Saban in a statement. “He represented The University of Alabama with great character and integrity. He was an outstanding player at Alabama, a successful coach, and a visionary who transformed the business of college athletics. I got to know him best when he returned to lead Alabama’s athletic department, and his vision and leadership were key to the Crimson Tide’s success, including our 2015 national championship. Terry and I are deeply saddened by his passing, and our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Mary, and their family. He will be missed.”
Battle graduated from Alabama in 1963 with a biology degree before earning a master’s degree from Oklahoma in 1964. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma under Bud Wilkinson, then moved to the Army football team at West Point. After two years there, Battle became an assistant coach at Tennessee, where he eventually became head coach in 1970.
At just 29, Battle became one of the youngest head coaches in modern SEC history, finishing with a 59-22-2 record over seven seasons (1970-76). His teams won four bowl games in five attempts, though he only beat Bryant’s Alabama team once, in his first season.
Battle told AL.com in 2013 that his time with Bryant—as a player, coach, and business partner—had a lasting impact on his life, though competing against him was tough.
“As a player, you never socialized with Coach Bryant,” Battle said. “If you talked to him, you were in trouble. As a coach, he enjoyed being around his players who were coaches. Every year, he’d host a gathering at Lake Martin, where we would play golf, discuss X’s and O’s, and have fun. It was always friendly, but the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry kept us from being friends.”
“When we worked together in business, our conversations were open and free-ranging. It was such a valuable experience, talking about X’s and O’s, people, and life. What struck me most about Coach Bryant was how much time he devoted to helping others, often without them even knowing it. That’s the mark of a great man.”
After his coaching career, Battle founded the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) in 1981, serving as president and CEO for 21 years. Under his leadership, the company became dominant in the sports apparel and memorabilia market, holding licensing deals with over 200 college athletic programs.
Later, Battle succeeded Mal Moore as Alabama’s athletics director. He served in that role until 2017, when Greg Byrne was hired.
“It’s hard to express just how much Coach Battle meant to The University of Alabama and college athletics as a whole,” said current athletics director Greg Byrne. “He succeeded in so many areas and was a true visionary. Beyond his accomplishments, he was an incredible man, and I’ll always be grateful for our friendship. He will be greatly missed.”
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