This day in sports history

BY COLIN “BIG C” MACGUIRE

The Greenville Standard

 

Coach Bill Battle served as Athletic Director at Alabama from 2013-2017.

Coach Battle played at Alabama from 1960-62 under Coach Bryant.

He started on the 1961 National Championship Team. Battle was an assistant at Oklahoma, Army, and Tennessee.

At age 28, he became the head coach at Tennessee and stayed there from 1970-76.

His record at Tennessee was 59-22-2. He was eventually forced out at Tennessee.

In the early 1980’s, he started Collegiate Licensing and moved from Selma to Atlanta and then sold his company.

Coach Mal Moore had some serious health problems. Coach Moore recommended to President Judy Bonner to hire Coach Battle.

Under Battle, Alabama football won the SEC 2014, 2015, 2016 and a National Championship in 2015.

Baseball added on to the stadium. Track and Field won the SEC in 2014 and 2015.

Golf won the SEC in 2013 and 2014 and the National Championship in 2014.

Since January 2018, Alabama has won two national championships.

Greg Byrne is the current Athletic Director at Alabama. He was hired in 2017 following Coach Bill Battle.

Byrne was the Athletic Director at Arizona (2010-17) when hired. He was also the athletic director at Mississippi State (2008-10).

Byrne hired Dan Mullen at Mississippi State. Arizona won the 2012 College World Series.

Alabama won national championships in football in 2017 and 2020, and SEC Championships in football 2018, 2020 and 2021, basketball SEC Championship 2021 Regular Season and Tournament Championship.

He hired Nate Oates as basketball coach. In baseball, he hired Brad Bohannon as head coach.

The 2021 team appeared in the NCAA Tournament, track and field 0, golf 0.

His father Bill Byrne was the athletic director at Texas A&M.