Talor Battle isn’t shy about expressing the emotion attached to his new career.

Retiring from playing professional basketball overseas three years ago, the Nittany Lions’ all-time leading scorer landed as a financial advisor for two years back in his hometown of Albany, N.Y. Wanting to get back into basketball, though, specifically at Penn State, a bond that was formed with head coach Patrick Chambers paid dividends in September when bench coach Kevin Freeman accepted a position at his alma mater, UConn, thus creating an opportunity for Battle’s first job in coaching.

He is still in disbelief.

“If I told you, you'd think I'm lying,” Battle said, days into his new job, “but I called my wife when I got down here, I was going to get some coffee at Starbucks. I’m driving on College Avenue and I was maybe three minutes down the road, I'm listening to music and, out loud, I just yelled, ‘I’m back! I'm back!’ in the car to myself, I was just so excited.”

BWI’s Nate Bauer sat down for a Zoom interview with Battle this week to learn more about the new gig and what he hops to bring to the job for an ascendant Penn State men’s basketball program.

Nate Bauer: How are you feeling?

Talor Battle: I've been good, man. One day I was a financial advisor and the next I'm asked to join the staff. I couldn't be more excited and grateful to coach for the opportunity because this place is home to me and I just love it so much. I know coaching is something I haven't done before, so I got a lot to learn on that front, but having been a student here, having played here, I can really relate to the guys. So as a mentor, as a leader, I really initially look forward to helping in that regard. So I'm excited. I'm ready to get around the guys and just get to work and start trying to be a little piece of the puzzle.

Bauer: How much of recruiting pitch was it to get you to transition from financial advisor to this or was this something that you had been thinking about getting into for a while?

Battle: Three and a half years ago, when I was contemplating retirement, I reached out to coach, had a conversation with him. At the time, we spoke about it and he told me he'd help in any way that he can. Fast-forward a couple years and here I am. It's crazy man, it's really crazy. But the process basically was coach called me and asked me if I'd be interested and I said, Hell yeah. I said absolutely. It'd be a no brainer, a thousand percent on my end. We went through the process and once he offered me. I think the next day after he offered me, I accepted it immediately. This is home for me. The opportunity is just unbelievable and I'm grateful for that. The next day, for some reason it just hit me as I was driving, and I literally just teared up. I couldn't believe it. It's so surreal. Having played on this floor, to now come back and try to help these guys develop as players and young men and give back in any way that I can, it's great. I can't even explain it.

Bauer: What does it mean to have Patrick Chambers' confidence, to have this be your first coaching experience?

Battle: Absolutely. And that's why I led with I can't express my gratitude because, from his end, I'm sure it's not easy. I have no experience, so for him to go out on a limb and take a shot on me just shows the confidence, the type of person that coach is, and a believer in me, it's just an honor. I'm at loss for words because I know that that's not easy. I'll be forever grateful for that. But obviously, coach sees something in me that I can help. I can help with the guys, learn from him and Urgo and Ferry and everybody else to really be an asset to the staff as they continue to climb on that great success they've had.

Bauer: Was there ever a second thought? Of maybe not doing this?

Battle: For me? No. Never. It was funny because once it happened, I was just sitting every night praying that I would actually get the offer and it would be me. Because I figured at that point, if I didn't, it would be hard to go back to trying to be a financial advisor. It was just the excitement of getting back here, helping, being around basketball, working with the guys and trying to develop them on the court and be a mentor and a leader. All of that stuff was just racing through my mind. My wife and my kids being back here where this place means everything to me. So there was never a doubt of not accepting, it was it was just a matter of, Lord willing, I got the opportunity and coach gave me that and we ran with it from there.

Bauer: Do you have aspirations beyond this? Have you considered a coaching career and what that might mean for you, and where you'd like that to take you?

Battle: It's early. I got a lot to learn on the coaching front. I played, but I know playing is completely different than coaching. Right now, I'm the rookie and I just want to learn as much as I can about this side of the business from Coach Chambers, Coach Ferry, Urgo, Ross, all of those guys. I just want to be a sponge and take it all in and really understand this whole moment. And then as time progresses, obviously, do I want to continue to coach? Forever. Do I want to leave here? Never. I guess that's the other thing on the other side. How many people get the opportunity to start at a place that means everything to them? Like I told Coach, you bring me on, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving for the next job somewhere else. This is home to me, this place means the world, so I hope to be here a long time.

Bauer: Have you started to think about recruiting and that end of the job and what type of an asset you might be in that realm?

Battle: I've thought about it, but that's another part where learning comes into play. Just thinking about it and talking to Urgo and the other assistants on just how to go about that, that's all new to me, learning that. I guess to a certain extent, coming from sales and what I was doing, relationships and all that stuff was so important that will help me talk to families. And when I am recruiting, everything I speak is going to come from the heart. When I'm selling this place, there's nothing fake about it. I've walked it. What I'm telling you is what I believe wholeheartedly. So I think that'll help and go a long way talking to families and all that stuff. I'm excited about all that, but I know there's a lot to learn before I start doing all that. So I'm excited to get into that part of it.

Bauer: Is the confidence you always played with carrying over to this new experience?

Battle: It's different. As a player, I played my whole life and I built that confidence and that confidence was just a testament of the work I put in and it just kind of carried over. It wasn't an accident. Being a coach is new. I'm excited. I can sit here and tell you how grateful and excited and happy I am to be back, but the part I left out is how nervous I am on the other end because there's so much for me to learn. When you start something new, there is a period of learning, getting more familiar with the staff and the players. Guys that I have relationships with already, Jamari, John, the older guys, now I'm a coach. So even that, there's a lot of dynamics that are a little bit different. So I am nervous but I'm excited at the same time. I'm just trying to enjoy the process and learn as much as I can. Before you lead, you gotta follow first, so I'm just following these guys, their leadership and learning. And then obviously, hopefully as time progresses, I can get more and more confident in everything that I do, whether that's workouts, whatever. But at the same time, there's going to be a little part where it's just a little nervous and new, and that's kind of where I'm at.

Bauer: For the team itself, after losing Mike Watkins and Lamar Stevens, this is a guard-heavy team. What's your assessment of the roster thus far?

Battle: I haven't been around or able to get in a gym yet because I've been quarantined. But you lose a guy like Lamar and Mike, those guys were two of the best players in school history. You never replace guys like that, but what we have is opportunity. When guys leave, there is opportunity for other guys to play larger roles. We got guards who can really score it. Seth, coming back for his sophomore year. Guys are aging and with more opportunity, MJ had a great season. Before he was sick, I thought he was playing as good as any guard in the league. Jamari is what Jamari is; such a great defender and leader, tenacious. Everyone's got to make a jump, but I'm excited because there is a lot of talent and there's a lot of scoring. It might be more by committee now, but every year is different, so I'm excited to see these guys get a little more opportunity and make the most of it.

Bauer: How much more do you feel like you can bring in terms of your toolbox for teaching based on your experience overseas?

Battle: I learned so much over my seven years as a pro. I thought I knew everything when I was in college and maybe I had a good career, but I learned so much and I learned so much from a leadership standpoint, and that comes naturally with maturity, but that's one of the things that I'm very excited about. Being able to share with these guys, small things like pick and roll, the knowledge that I gained running pick and roll, because that's all it is in professional sports, really. Things that I didn't see when I was a college kid that I can now pass along to those guys. But from a major standpoint, it is really just being there as somebody to talk to, a mentor, a leader, because the biggest thing that I have in relation to these guys is I was literally one of them. I walked the campus, I went to the same classes that they're attending. I was one of them. So whether it's good days or bad days, questions they need me to answer, scenarios they want to talk through, on the court, off the court, I think I can relate to them a great deal and I think that's something that goes a long way with kids in college.

Bauer: When a new point guard comes into the program, there's so much to learn philosophically and systematically on both ends of the court. Is that the same for you right now, learning his terminology and what they do?

Battle: It's so funny you say that because I've asked for everything. Because the reality of it is everyone is different. Every coach has their way. So me learning Coach's system and learning all of that stuff, it's like when you go to a new team, you get a new playbook. So I'm learning. I got so much to learn from that side, the recruiting side, everything. It's a lot right now, but at the same time, it's a challenge that I'm so excited about. So I'll continue to learn the concepts. I called Coach Urgo the other day and I was like, I have no idea what any drill is you just named. And he's like, you probably know them, we just got our own names. Literally I call him like, Should I add something? I don't know what to say. He's like, Don't worry, you'll learn it all once you're around it and see it. You probably ran through them before, we just got our names. So that's always fun. I'm still trying to learn that stuff and once we get more on the court, I'm sure having been around the game, it'll be easier to pick it up.

Bauer: Do you have a sense yet of how willing you'll be to chime in with your own insights and input that maybe they haven't considered?

Battle: Whenever Coach tells me to speak, I'll probably speak then. I'm the rookie. I need to listen before I speak. I'm sure there'll be times when Coach asks me for my input or how I may see a situation, and I'll share that, but especially initially as I'm continuing to learn, I just want to be all ears. If I'm called upon and asked my opinion, that's one thing, but to chime in, I'll do you what I'm asked because I might see something coach might not agree with. Last year, they were ranked top 10, so he knows what he's doing. I just want to listen and learn. These guys have walked the walk. They're great role models in that regard.

Bauer: Just the way your career played out with the NIT and the down year to follow before the NCAA appearance, do you feel like that experience will be an asset?

Battle: Absolutely. That year after we won the NIT was not fun for anyone. But to then bounce back and respond the way we did was great. Last year was such a great year and now Penn State is on the map. Having such a great year, now everyone knows who Penn State is. Over the past few years, Coach is doing a great job. So there's a lot that comes with that. We need to work harder, smarter. Everyone needs to continue to develop to have another season like last year. But to be there, how fun that was, Jamari. How fun that was, John, to be top 10 in the country. But they earned that, and that's what we want to do this year, just work our tails off and earn that and give us an opportunity to get into the dance when the time comes.

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