(WNY News Now) – Amherst, NY, February 15, 2024 – Turner Battle, Director of Athletics at The Park School of Buffalo, will be honored at the UB Bulls basketball game at 2:00pm vs Akron on Saturday, February 17. A ceremony will be held at halftime to highlight Battle’s astounding basketball career, as his #11 jersey is retired and hung in the rafters in UB’s Alumni Arena. Immediately following the game, a party to celebrate will be held in Park’s Dining Hall, 4625 Harlem Road, Amherst, NY 14226 at 5:00PM for Turner Battle’s family, friends, teammates, and colleagues.
Turner Battle was one of the nation’s top point guards when he joined the UB Bulls basketball team from 2001-2005. Not only was Battle the leader of the UB team that advanced to the MAC Championship game and the school’s first NIT bid, Battle also helped establish Alumni Arena as
one of the hardest places to win in the MAC.
Battle finished his college career with 1,414 points, 502 rebounds, 458 assists and 170 steals. He was the first player in program history to compile 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists. He is still the only player in school history to lead the team in assists for four straight years. In 2005, he became the first UB player to be named Mid-American Conference Player of the Year and earned All-America honors that same season, as well as a three-time Academic All- MAC selection and named an Academic All-American in 2005. After graduating from UB,
Battle played professionally in Europe before beginning his coaching career with various college teams from 2007-2022, including University at Buffalo (2007-2013), Chattanooga (2013-14), UAB (2014-20), East Tennessee State (2020-21) and Middle Tennessee State (2021-22).
In 2022, Battle and his family moved back to Buffalo where he then began his current position as Director of Athletics at The Park School of Buffalo. He notes, “The community, students, and basketball both at Park and within Western New York are second to none. With this position I
can not only enhance Park’s athletics department and provide the opportunity to develop necessary life skills through sports, but also do what I enjoy most – and that is to spend time with my family.”
Head of School, Lisa Conrad, adds, “Turner has been such a wonderful addition to our campus here at Park. Since his first day, he has greatly impacted our students and athletics programs by finding ways to enhance and expand our sports teams to include a wider age range of students, as
well as a wider variety of sports to be offered. Not only that, but Turner is also an exemplary mentor and role model to all students and kids, and this truly reflects his passion for his career.”
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