William "Bill" Raines Battle III

It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend, and coach, William Raines “Bill” Battle III, on November 27, 2024, after a bravely fought battle with cancer.

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Mr. Battle graduated from West End High School in 1959 before enrolling at The University of Alabama. As one of Coach Bear Bryant’s scholarship athletes, Bill helped lead the team to a national championship in 1961.

After graduating in 1963, Mr. Battle began a career in coaching, serving as a graduate assistant at The University of Oklahoma and as an assistant coach at West Point, before becoming head coach at The University of Tennessee at the age of 28.

After a remarkable coaching career, including a 59-22-2 record and four bowl game wins, Bill left coaching and moved to Selma, Alabama. While there, he began working for his former little league football coach, Larry Striplin, and served as President/CEO for Disco Aluminum, and formed Golden Eagle Enterprises (GEE).

Bill agreed to represent Coach Bryant as a licensing client, as Bryant became the all-time winningest coach in college football. The working relationship led to The University of Alabama as Bill’s first university licensing client. GEE would ultimately become the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) formed in 1981.

Bill moved the CLC headquarter to Atlanta, Georgia, where the company became the groundbreaking sports marketing agency that revolutionized the collegiate licensing industry.

After a brief retirement, Coach Battle returned to the sports world in 2013 when he was “called home” to become Director of Athletics at the University of Alabama, following the untimely death of former teammate Mal Moore. While Athletic Director, Bill oversaw a remarkable run of success for Alabama teams, including three national championships. A true servant leader, he was loved and admired by all who had the pleasure and honor of knowing him.

Despite all of his sports and business success, Bill will be remembered most by his family as an amazing husband, father, and beloved “Crawdaddy” – a loving patriarch who was always there to provide guidance, support, and a warm hug. Craw was an avid fly fisherman and turkey hunter, taking many trips to Alaska and his favorite spots in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Ellijay, Georgia.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents, William Raines Battle Jr. and Kathleen Scruggs Battle. He is survived by his wife, Mary; his children, Pat (Alice Ann) Battle, Mike Battle, Shannon Battle, and Kayla (Frankie) Smeraglia; eight grandchildren, Will (Danielle) Battle, Mary Raines Battle, Mary Catherine (Taylor) Trumbower, Annie Battle, Denver Pingley, Mary Scott Pingley, Hudson Smeraglia, and Reynolds Smeraglia; three great-grandchildren, Allie Battle, Buck Trumbower, and Paul Battle; sister, Jean LeMerle Battle; nephew, Rick Black; nieces, Valerie Ball and Kathleen Baker; and many beloved cousins.

A memorial service for Bill Battle will be at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 5, 2024 at Canterbury United Methodist Church, 350 Overbrook Road, Mountain Brook, AL 35213. The family will receive friends at the church after the service Thursday. Private interment at Southern Heritage Cemetery, Pelham, Alabama.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to UAB’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, UAB’s Department of Rheumatology, or a charity of your choice.