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Athletics News

Have You Noticed What the Mocs Are Doing?

After having one of the top-100 athletic programs in the nation in 2008-09, the Chattanooga Mocs are riding that momentum to a record-breaking start this fall. UTC's athletic teams are tearing up their respective arenas of play and producing comprehensive excellence that rivals any other program in the nation.

Everyone is familiar with the resurgence of the football team as the Mocs are off to their best start in over a decade. Chattanooga is 3-1 on the year for the first time since 1997 after destroying No. 17 Wofford 38-9 on Homecoming on Sept. 26.

Chattanooga is 8th in the nation among FCS schools in total home attendance (33,853) and No. 25 in average attendance (11,284). Senior Blue Cooper is No. 7 in the FCS with 29 receptions and the excitement around Mocs football is at a level not seen in 20 years.

The Lady Mocs volleyball team got off to its best start in 10 years, going at 8-3 in its first 11 games. Freshman Paula Passmore is No. 6 in the NCAA in digs per set (5.84) while junior Courtney Barnes is No. 2 in the SoCon in attacking percentage (.337).

The men's golf team opened the 2009-10 season ranked No. 1 in the nation according to the Golfstat rankings and No. 4 in the first Golfweek/Sagarin poll of the season. Sophomore Stephan Jaeger became the first Moc too garner a top-10 individual ranking when he checked in at No. 7 in the Golfweek/Sagarin individual rankings.

The Lady Mocs golf team is also off to a fast start, opening the year at No. 12 in both women's golf national rankings. They have wins over three programs (Duke, North Carolina and Oklahoma State) that finished in the top-10 in the NCAA last year.

Chattanooga's soccer squad produced its best start in school history with a 5-0 start. Their offense is ranked No. 27 in the NCAA, averaging 2.57 goals-per-game. Freshman Becca Smith is No. 9 in the nation in assists-per-game (1.0) and No. 15 in the country in points-per-game (2.14).

The cross country team has also had some impressive outings early in its schedule. The men’s and women’s tennis programs will host the largest ever field at the 26th annual UTC Steve Baras Memorial Tennis Classic at the Champions Club in Chattanooga.

With the amount of positive attention and accolades seen in the last year, Mocs athletics continues to be a source of pride for the campus, community and alumni. The continued support of Moc fans everywhere will help all UTC teams carry the momentum of this early success through the entire 2009-10 athletic season.

Meet Heath Eslinger, Mocs Wrestling Coach

New University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling coach Heath Eslinger is hard at work putting together the pieces that will make up the 2009-10 Mocs squad. Hired on July 11, 2009, Eslinger returns to his old stomping grounds where he was a three-time Southern Conference Champion from 1998-00. He was also the SoCon Wrestler of the Year for the Mocs as a senior in 2000.

Following graduation, Eslinger spent two years working as an assistant at his alma mater under former head coach Terry Brands from 2002-04. He spent the last three years building Cleveland High School (Cleveland, Tenn.) into one of the top high school wrestling programs in Tennessee.

So, how are you settling in as the new head coach of Chattanooga Mocs Wrestling?

Eslinger: “It is going good. I am enjoying it. I feel like things are going well. I am getting to know the kids and just trying to have some fun with them. I am also trying to give them a chance to get to know me. At the same time, I want to make sure I have my hands wrapped around all of the elements that are involved with running a Division I program.”

Has your phone been ringing off the hook since you were hired?

Eslinger: “A little bit. The good thing is most people don’t have my cell phone number yet. It can be hard to get a hold of me, but I still get messages every morning. I think, for the most part, everyone that follows the program locally knows me. It is not a situation where everyone wants to meet the new coach, because most fans alumni and supporters in the wrestling community in Chattanooga already know me.”

“The best part has been the calls from guys I wrestled with, who are not in the area, that reached out to congratulate me on the job. I think them identifying with me has also been a good thing. They feel like they can call because we have a connection and it has allowed some of the alumni to get back in touch with the program.”

“I have also gotten a lot of calls and congratulations from other coaches across the country. The college wrestling community seems to be excited to see someone at Chattanooga who is hopefully going to provide some stability to the UTC wrestling program. Division I wrestling needs stability and a solid foundation and I think other coaches and people involved with collegiate wrestling are hoping that I can provide that at UTC.”

What was your first thought when you walked through your office door for the first time at the head coach at UTC?

Eslinger: “Clean up! I am a neat-freak. I have to get stuff out of my office and the locker room that is not useful. We had a work day last Saturday to just get things in order. We cleaned out the locker room, the wrestling room and the offices. We moved out a lot of stuff that we don’t use. We had to get it to a point where we could actually go to work. I feel like we are there now.”

“I think the other thing I realized walking through the office door was I have to get help in here quick. One guy can’t do this job by himself. I am working hard at getting a staff in place and getting help in here as quickly as possible.”

There were over 60 people at the press conference to announce your hiring. What are your thoughts on that and what does that say about the interest in the program?

Eslinger: “It was great. People in Chattanooga are interested in this program and I just think it generated some excitement. It was a bold move by UTC to go hire a high school coach, but I think the community responded by showing up and showing support, not only for myself, but also for the entire program.”

“You look at what coach (Russ) Huesman has done for the energy and enthusiasm surrounding the football program. The football alumni are excited about the fact that he played here and wanted to be here. I think that is the same feeling the wrestling alumni have when they see an alum leading their program. It certainly has sparked some excitement. New we just have to take that and build on it for next year and the future.’

What do you think is the biggest change in collegiate wrestling from when you were competing and coaching?

Eslinger: “I think there is more parity in college wrestling than when I was involved. I think you are seeing a lot of smaller programs that are doing really well because there is a huge number of student-athletes out there who want to participate.”

“The profile of UTC wrestling has also grown. Partly because there are so few programs out there for kids to choose from and partly because we have had some big-time names coach the program in the last few years. Terry Brands was a big shot in the arm for UTC wrestling. He brought a lot of national recognition to Chattanooga and that was carried over when Chris Bono was the head coach. They are big names in this business and during their time here, they raised the level of Chattanooga wrestling. Now it is our job to continue to build on what they have done.”

“It seems like people all over the country know about Chattanooga wrestling because it is a place where they can go and compete at the Division I level and be successful. When I was competing, I think people in other parts of the country knew a little bit about UTC. When I was coaching here, it was moving in the direction of becoming more nationally recognized. Now, because of our success and the fact that there are so few programs out there and so many who want to wrestle, kids know us. People all across the country know that Chattanooga has a strong wrestling program and the Mocs are an opportunity they can pursue.”

What is your approach to coaching and how will that change in your move from high school to the collegiate level

Eslinger: “I don’t think my philosophy changes. My philosophy is to build men. You are molding young men in to being better grown men. That doesn’t matter if you are doing it from 16 to 18 or 18 to 22. Wrestling is an element that is involved in that process, but it is not the sole focus of that process. If you just focus on the wrestling, eventually all of the other parts of the person that you have ignored will come back to hurt the wrestling.

“I want to make guys better students, better socially, better athletically and better spiritually. They are going to wrestle for four or five years and hopefully live another 60 years after that. We need to make sure we are providing them with the skills to be successful not only in their wrestling careers, but also as productive citizens and alumni of UTC.”

“I always try to make sure that I am teaching kids the skills they need to help handle the curveballs life is going to throw at them after they graduate. It is about building the total person. Sports is the greatest avenue to do that, wrestling just happens to be the one I work with. To me that is the fun part of this whole job.”

“The biggest change for me will come in my day-to-day activities. Normally, I am teaching classes during the day. Here I am making sure they are in class and are on track academically. Also, in high school I am working with the kids that I get. Here I get to choose the student-athletes I want to come and represent our program. Being able to recruit kids who fit your mindset and want to be a part of your program is a huge advantage.”

Another big change from high school to college is the NCAA compliance rules. How is your reading coming along concerning the NCAA Compliance Manual?

Eslinger: “In all aspects of life there are certain rules you have to know and follow and these are another set of rules. I have to learn what the rules are, what has changed since I was last in college coaching and make sure I follow them. I did pass the recruiting test, but it is still going to be an ongoing process, just like it is for all coaches in all sports. We have a great compliance staff here in the administration at UTC and they have been great working with me to make the adjustment.”

Men's Basketball

Season tickets for the 2009-10 Chattanooga men's basketball season are now on sale. The Mocs will play 17 events in the McKenzie Arena this year coming off back-to-back Southern Conference North Division titles.

Tickets can be purchased one of three ways. Fans can go online at GoMocs.com, call the ticket office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627) or stop by the McKenzie Arena ticket office at Gate One.

Chattanooga captured its 10th SoCon Tournament Championship, which ties the all-time league record with West Virginia and Davidson, last season advancing to the NCAA Tournament. It was a magical week for Mocs fans as "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" adopted the Mocs as its tournament team and featured the school and team on a nightly basis.

This year's schedule features 17 home contests including an exhibition game with nearby Tennessee Wesleyan November 7. The headline matchup comes on December 14 when Georgia Tech returns to McKenzie Arena for the first time since December 22, 1992, which is also the last meeting between the two schools.

"This is a home schedule that fans of all ages will be able to enjoy," said Director of Athletics Rick Hart. "John (Shulman) and his staff have done a great job putting together a competitive schedule in an economic climate that makes it increasingly difficult."

Hart also stressed the Mocs commitment to their fans in these tough times.

"For our part, we are not raising ticket prices despite the increase in home games," Hart added. "We have also worked hard to put together a number of packages to fit every budget."

Season tickets start as low as $50 for UTC employees, alumni and youth. Select lower level reserved seating purchases also require a UTC Mocs Club donation.

There is a General Admission Upper Level Mocs Pack which provides four tickets for $300, a savings of $100. The Mocs Mini-Season Plan is available as well with seven games available for $70 which includes Georgia Tech, Davidson, College of Charleston, Appalachian State, Samford and all four Dr Pepper Classic games.

Traditional rival East Tennessee State November 17 makes an early appearance and is one of five teams who made the post-season last year to invade Chattanooga in 2009-10. ETSU and Morgan State, a Dr Pepper Classic participant, both competed in the NCAA Tournament along with the Mocs.

The Dr Pepper Classic December 29-30 field is once again a good one not only with Morgan State, but also Eastern Kentucky and Long Island. EKU is one of three OVC schools on the schedule, but the only one to visit Chattanooga. Mississippi Valley State December 12 and Tennessee Temple December 21 round out the non-conference slate.

The Mocs open the season with Virginia Intermont on Friday, November 13. It will be part of an exciting weekend of activities for Mocs fans as the football plays its final home game on the 14th hosting The Citadel, along with the home opener for wrestling that morning against Anderson and Gardner-Webb.

Nine SoCon home games are on tap with North Division rivals Appalachian State on January 30, Elon on December 5, UNC Greensboro on January 11, Samford on February 10 and Western Carolina on January 28 coming in along with four South Division foes, The Citadel on January 14, College of Charleston January 16, Davidson on February 22 and Furman on February 13. The Citadel (College Insider), Charleston (CBI) and Davidson (NIT) all qualified for post-season tournaments last season.

Women's Basketball

Season tickets for the 2009-10 home schedule of Lady Mocs basketball are now on sale at the McKenzie Arena.

This year promises to be an exciting season with the return of reigning SoCon Player of the Year Shanara Hollinquest and all-conference and all-tournament athlete Jenaya Wade-Fray. Tagan Hatchett's six treys in UTC's win over Appalachian State electrified the Roundhouse crowd at the SoCon tournament last year.

Be a part of the crowd as the Lady Mocs tip off the season Thursday, November 19 against the University of Georgia in the Roundhouse. The Bulldogs return four starters including Trenton, Ga., native Ashley Houts whose sister Emily (2006-07) played guard for the Lady Mocs .

Looking for something the whole family can do Thanksgiving weekend? Bring them to McKenzie and watch the Lady Mocs take on opponents such as Kennesaw State, Evansville and Villanova in the third annual Lady Mocs Thanksgiving Classic.

The fun doesn't stop there. In December the Lady Mocs and Head Coach Wes Moore begin their defense of 10 consecutive regular season titles hosting Furman December 5 and Wofford December 9. Stick around for UTC's Dec. 12 matchup against ACC foe Clemson University.

Following a grueling series of road games over the Christmas holiday, the Lady Mocs return home to face the league in earnest hosting the ever-challenging College of Charleston in the first game of the new year on Jan. 2 followed by a matchup with Georgia Southern (1/4).

Western Carolina's new coach will make her first appearance in the Roundhouse on Jan. 16 and the Lady Mocs will close out the month hosting Elon on January 30. UNC Greensboro kicks off the run through February in Chattanooga on February 1 and at the midpoint of the month, the Lady Mocs will face Appalachian State February 13 and Davidson February 15 in back-to-back home games.

Samford wraps up the season on February 27 as the Lady Mocs bid farewell to seniors Hatchett, Hollinquest, Wade-Fray and Megan Rollins in the regular season finale.

On the perimeter Kori Penland will look to make her mark on the record books with her sharpshooting abilities and Tenisha Townsend, with her quick speed, will look to light up the crowd. Bailey Dewart versatility will make her a threat to smaller guards and slower forwards.

Moore strengthened his arsenal with top talent from the Tennessee area that include highly decorated and talented athletes such as Erin Helton, Kylie Lambert and Kayla Christopher. Cleveland's Michelle Davis and Rome's Kiara Smith will get to show off their talents this season after sitting out last year.

Get your tickets today for another exciting season of Lady Mocs basketball. Ticket prices for all 15 home games begin at $45 and run through $90. Packages and Mini-Packs are available. All seating is general admission. Call the McKenzie Arena box office at 423-266-6627 (MOCS) or log onto the official website of UTC athletics, GoMocs.com to get your tickets now!

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