William “Bill” Raines Battle III, a former University of Alabama athletic director, student-athlete, collegiate football coach, and founder of the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), has passed away at the age of 82.
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Battle attended the University of Alabama on a football scholarship. He was a three-year starter from 1960 to 1962 under the legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, contributing to the Crimson Tide’s first national championship team in 1961. Battle was recognized on Alabama’s All-Decade Team for the 1960s as a first-team tight end and second-team defensive end.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in psychology from the University of Alabama in 1963, Battle pursued a master’s degree in education at the University of Oklahoma, graduating in 1964.
Battle’s coaching career began in 1963 as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma under coach Bud Wilkinson. He later served as an assistant coach at the U.S. Military Academy during a two-year military tour in 1964-65 and joined the University of Tennessee as an assistant coach in 1966. In 1970, he became Tennessee’s head coach, achieving a 59-22-2 record over seven seasons, including four bowl game victories.
In 1981, Battle founded the Collegiate Licensing Company, serving as president and CEO until 2002. CLC, later acquired by IMG in 2007, became a leader in collegiate licensing.
Returning to the University of Alabama in 2013 as athletic director, Battle oversaw a period of excellence, including three NCAA team national championships, 10 SEC team titles across five sports, and numerous individual accolades for athletes. After his tenure as AD, he served as a special assistant to the university president, supporting initiatives that benefitted both athletics and academics.
Battle’s contributions to sports and business earned him inductions into multiple halls of fame, including the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, and the National Collegiate Licensing Association Hall of Fame. He also received numerous honors, including the Paul W. Bryant Alumni Athlete Award and lifetime achievement recognition from the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
In 2017, Battle was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Alabama and an Honorary Doctor of Law from Birmingham-Southern College.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Battle dedicated his time to various boards, including the Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Foundation, the Crimson Tide Foundation, and UAB’s Stem Cell Institute, alongside his wife, Mary. His legacy spans sports, education, and philanthropy, leaving an indelible mark on countless lives.
