🏈 Does anybody here remember Battle when he coached football at UT?
- Thread starter TheChief
- Start date
planomateo
Member
Let me show my age, I was born in 1974 (yup, I'm turning the big FOUR ZERO in a few months). Sure, I know he coached there, but I certainly don't have any real time recollection of it. I was two when he left according to his bio.
I haven't heard anything that would make me hold it against him, but then again, I haven't really asked about how he handled himself while at Tennessee.
bama alum
Member
I'm four years older than you are; like you, I only know of him coaching there by name. Sometimes you take a job when/where you can. Ask Kiffin, the man we all so eagerly reviled a few years ago.
When my mother went to UA, he and she took the same health class and were CPR partners (I give her nonstop grief about that :icon_twisted
. He's back home and finishing his career here. Yeah, I would have liked him to have made a different decision regarding the basketball program, but I'm glad we were able to replace Mal with our own.
Jim Goosetree. Ken Donahue. Two guys that coached with Neyland at Tennessee. Both grew up in TN, Keno also played for the Vols.
If you're going to ask if anyone remembers when he coached at UT, maybe you should also ask if anyone remembers when he coached at OU under Bud. Or, if anyone remembers when he played for Coach Bryant on the '61 team. ('60 - '62)
I recall Battle being promoted to HC at UT when he was 28. Even today there aren't that many coaches who established that position at such a young age...much less took their team to several top 10 finishes.
If you're going to ask if anyone remembers when he coached at UT, maybe you should also ask if anyone remembers when he coached at OU under Bud. Or, if anyone remembers when he played for Coach Bryant on the '61 team. ('60 - '62)
I recall Battle being promoted to HC at UT when he was 28. Even today there aren't that many coaches who established that position at such a young age...much less took their team to several top 10 finishes.
I vaguely remember him and can't remember why he was forced out in favor of majors. He did have great success. Pretty close to winning it all in 1970, but I was way too young to recollect the particulars. I guess I posted about Battle because of the scrutiny of the basketball job. Looks like he's one for one on hires (Curry in basketball who seems to be doing well).
<!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: dbtech_usertag_mention --> @TheChief <!-- END TEMPLATE: dbtech_usertag_mention --> Look at his record the last two years of his time in Knoxville (I want to say '75 & '76) and you'll have your answer to why he resigned. As I recall his next to last year he didn't have a winning record and his last season a loss to UK (second time in a row) was the final nail in his coffin.
One of the books on Coach Bryant deals with some of Battle's history but I can't recall which one.
There's some interesting history with Battle and UT. One story is how he was one of the first coaches in the SEC to use computers to actually chart the success of plays their offense ran.
Quite a pedigree he has...one coach I forgot he worked with until a few minutes ago was Paul Dietzel (LSU and later UofSC.)
If you ask an older UT fan about why Battle resigned (forced out) they'll point to his record against Bama. He ended up 1-6 as I recall—the only win coming against the Tide's 1970 team. Bama ended up going to the 'bone and the Vols lost the next five. In comes Majors, and they lost the next six.
That 11 game winning streak still stands as the longest in the rivalry.
One of the books on Coach Bryant deals with some of Battle's history but I can't recall which one.
There's some interesting history with Battle and UT. One story is how he was one of the first coaches in the SEC to use computers to actually chart the success of plays their offense ran.
Quite a pedigree he has...one coach I forgot he worked with until a few minutes ago was Paul Dietzel (LSU and later UofSC.)
If you ask an older UT fan about why Battle resigned (forced out) they'll point to his record against Bama. He ended up 1-6 as I recall—the only win coming against the Tide's 1970 team. Bama ended up going to the 'bone and the Vols lost the next five. In comes Majors, and they lost the next six.
That 11 game winning streak still stands as the longest in the rivalry.
I remember a moving van showing up at Coach Battle's home after a Bama loss in the early 70's. Unrelated article on Battle's highs & lows at UT: http://www.chattanoogan.com/2012/9/12/234162/John-Shearer-Remembering-UT-Football.aspx
C
CrimsonPirate
I'm sure Battle accepted the job at UT because he thought it was a good career move. Why should we fans hold it against him because he came over from "the darkside." Bill Oliver left Alabama to take the DC position at Auburn. Do we hate him? Or closer to home, Nick Saban coached at LSWho before coming to T-town. If that ain't the darkside, I don't know what is. I think Battle will have Bama's best interest at heart and will do the very best job he can for Albama.
Being a founding member of the OFC, I remember him as aplayer. He started on 61 and 62 as an end. He played both offense and defense. I think he was all SEC in 62.
He actually had a pretty good record at Tennessee, but he was never able to beat us, and this led to his leaving.
Another in the Bryant coaching family at that time was Charlie McLendon at LSU. Charlie also had a prdtfy good record, but he also could not beat Bryant, and was fired for thaf reason.
He actually had a pretty good record at Tennessee, but he was never able to beat us, and this led to his leaving.
Another in the Bryant coaching family at that time was Charlie McLendon at LSU. Charlie also had a prdtfy good record, but he also could not beat Bryant, and was fired for thaf reason.
From the link [MENTION=11349]bear facts[/MENTION] posted:
However, some signs of distress were beginning to appear. The first occurred in the 1972 Alabama game. During this Neyland Stadium encounter in which “Rocky Top” arrived as a new tradition for the UT band, the Vol tradition of finding ways to win seemed to be leaving.
Now there's something I didn't know...should I hold that against Battle?
However, some signs of distress were beginning to appear. The first occurred in the 1972 Alabama game. During this Neyland Stadium encounter in which “Rocky Top” arrived as a new tradition for the UT band, the Vol tradition of finding ways to win seemed to be leaving.
Now there's something I didn't know...should I hold that against Battle?
C
CrimsonPirate
Not ringing any bells...
Neil Callaway.
Wayne Hall. A very good player for Coach Bryant. Dye was his position coach while at Bama.
I had forgotten about Wayne Hall coaching there, and how could I? Much news about Terry Bowden and him not seeing eye to eye. BTW, Callaway played at Bama (1974-1977). He started as an assistant under Pat Dye at East Carolina, went with CPD to Wyoming in 1980, and then on to Auburn from 1981-1992 where he coached OL.
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C
CrimsonPirate
Hall was the one I was trying to remember. I didn't remember Callaway at all, although I don't know why. Callaway is my wife's maiden name.
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