Bill Battle, who won a national championship as an Alabama football player and later became UA’s athletics director after a highly successful turnaround in the business world, has died, UA announced Thursday.

He was 82.

Battle, a Birmingham native, played for Paul “Bear” Bryant for three years from 1960 to 1962. Alabama won the national championship in 1961, and Battle’s efforts also earned him a spot on the UA’s All-Decade team as a tight end (first team) and defensive end (second team) in the 1960s.

“Coach Battle was a great player and top prospect in the South when he came to Alabama at a time when the program was folding,” Paul Bryant Jr. said in a statement. “He started for Dad for three years, including a national championship. He created the licensing industry that continues to benefit universities and schools across the country today. He was a major donor to the university. When we needed him again, he came out of retirement to help us as athletic director.”

Here’s a 2009 video from the Bryant Museum with highlights of Battle’s playing career at Alabama:

Battle returned to UA in 2013 to work as athletics director. He served in that role for four years, during which time Alabama won three national championships and 10 SEC championships in five sports and was 15 individual national champions.

“Bill Battle was first-class in every way,” former Alabama football coach Nick Saban said in a statement. “He represented the University of Alabama with great character and integrity. He was a standout football player at Alabama, a successful college head coach and a visionary who revolutionized the business of college athletics.

“I got to know him best when he returned to lead the Alabama athletics department, where his vision and leadership were the driving factors in the Crimson Tide’s success, which led to 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. We will miss him very much.”

Battle graduated from Alabama in 1963 with a bachelor’s degree in biology before earning his master’s degree from Oklahoma in 1964. After school, he began coaching and worked as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma for Bud Wilkinson.

Battle then became an assistant coach for the Army football team at the United States Military Academy at West Point. After two years there, Battle served as an assistant coach at Tennessee for four years before becoming head coach in 1970.

Battle was just 29 years old when he took over the Tennessee football program, making him one of the youngest head coaches in modern SEC history. He finished 59-22-2 in his seven seasons (1970-76) and led the Vols, winning four bowl games on five occasions, but beating Bryant’s Alabama team just once, in his first season.

Battle told AL.com in a 2013 interview that the time he spent with Bryant and a player, coach and business partner had a profound impact on his life. However, it wasn’t exactly fun to compete against him on the soccer field.

“As a player, you never had any contact with Coach Bryant,” Battle said. “If you talk to him, you’re usually in trouble. … As a coach, he loved being around his players who were coaches. Every year he had a house down by Lake Martin and had a thing for his coaches. We came in and played golf, drew Xs and Oes and had even more fun. And then he started having more players to compete with. … We were always friendly, but in the Alabama-Tennessee relationship we could never be friends.

“When I did business with him, we talked about anything and everything. It was so great. We talked about X’s and O’s and people. Everything. Anything. So I got to know him on three different levels.

“What fascinated me was how much time he spent helping other people. In many cases they didn’t even know he had helped them. To me, that’s the sign of a man.”

After coaching in Tennessee, Battle founded Collegiate Licensing Company, known as CLC, in 1981, where he served as president and CEO for 21 years. The company became nearly ubiquitous in the world of sportswear and memorabilia, eventually entering into licensing agreements with more than 200 collegiate athletic programs.

Battle later succeeded Mal Moore as athletics director at Alabama. Battle served in that role until 2017, when current athletics director Greg Byrne was hired.

“It is difficult to put into words how much Coach Battle means to the University of Alabama and college athletics as a whole,” Byrne said in a statement. “He excelled in so many areas and was a true visionary. Beyond his accomplishments, he was an incredible man and I am forever grateful for the friendship we built over the years. We will miss him greatly and are praying for Mary, Pat, Mike, Shannon, Kayla and the entire Battle family.”

Among Battle’s accolades, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. He also received a spot in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1981, the National Collegiate Licensing Association Hall of Fame, the Alabama Business Hall of Fame and others.

Battle also received the Paul W. Bryant Alumni Athlete Award in 2005. UA also named its strength and conditioning complex in his honor, calling it the Bill Battle Athletic Performance Center.

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

In a sad coincidence, Battle is the third former Alabama football player who later served as the school’s AD to die this year. Steve Sloan died in April at the age of 79, Cecil “Hootie” Ingram in May at the age of 90.

Nick Kelly is a beat writer from Alabama AL.com and Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X And Instagram.