Talor Battle Leaves Penn State for Northwestern
Talor Battle, the Penn State basketball legend who joined coach Micah Shrewsberry's staff in April, will sit on the opposing bench the next time he visits the Bryce Jordan Center.
Battle has joined Northwestern's staff as an assistant men's basketball coach, continuing the career he began last season at Penn State.
Northwestern announced the hiring Monday.
"With this role brings a new atmosphere, culture and family that I'm already proud to be a part of," Battle said in a release. "I am fired up about the vision and direction Coach [Chris] Collins has for this program. I look forward to learning from Coach Collins and accomplishing special things here in Evanston."
Battle, Penn State's all-time leading scorer, joined the Lions' coaching staff last September. Prior to that, he worked at Morgan Stanley as a financial advisor after playing professionally in Europe for seven seasons.
Shrewsberry hired Battle as the assistant to the head coach, a non-coaching position on staff. Shrewsberry called the decision to retain Battle a "no-brainer."
"He is one of the greatest players to ever play here and he has a deep love for Penn State," Shrewsberry said in a statement. "Our players will benefit from his vast experiences of being a player here and from his years playing professional basketball."
Ultimately, Battle sought to continue coaching, an opportunity that Northwestern provided.
"We're excited to welcome Talor to the program," Collins said in a statement. "His track record as an elite player in this league makes him an incredible mentor for our players, and an obviously compelling recruiter. He has a great knowledge of the game and an undeniable passion for coaching that will be great additions to the staff."
Battle, an honorable mention All-American at Penn State, holds the program's career-scoring record (2,213 points). He played on Penn State's last NCAA tournament team, in 2011, and helped the team win the 2009 NIT title.
Battle was Penn State's first two-time All-Big Ten player. He finished his career having set the school record for career starts (131) and the Big Ten record for minutes played (4,799).
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