Rodney Allison, wife Leigh, son Sloan and daughter Ashleigh Delle

Allison speaks to media and other guests at the announcement press conference.

Allison interviewed by Darrell Patterson, Sports Reporter with WTVC News Channel 9.

Rodney Allison Named UTC Head Football Coach

Coaching bloodlines run deep. When UTC athletics director Steve Sloan sought a new head football coach for the Mocs following the 2002 season, the Roladex in his mind stopped quickly on the name Rodney Allison.

Allison was a star quarterback for Sloan’s Texas Tech football squad in the mid-1970s. His coaching career began on Sloan’s Red Raider staff a few years later, then he followed his former head coach to Duke for his next assignment. He even named his first child Sloan.

Allison has also enjoyed coaching success at Auburn and Southern Mississippi.

Chattanooga will be the first head coaching job for Allison. He spent the last four seasons as the defensive ends coach for head coach Tommy Bowden of the Clemson Tigers. Clemson is currently 7-5 overall this season and has earned a berth in the Tangerine Bowl December 23 in Orlando, Florida.

Allison’s defensive ends have helped the Tigers record nearly 100 sacks over the last three years. In 2002, the Tigers ranked 38th nationally in total defense and 50th in scoring defense. They ranked 18th in rushing defense in 2001.

Under Auburn head coach Terry Bowden, Allison served as running backs coach, special teams coach and offensive coordinator in different years. Allison and the Tigers served forged a perfect 11-0 record in 1993, and they were ranked No. 4 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.

While coaching the running backs at Auburn, three of his students gained over 1,000 yards in a season.

Allison worked as an assistant coach for the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles’ quarterbacks and running backs, and among them was quarterback Brett Favre. Following an outstanding college career at USM, Favre has gone on to an extraordinary career in the NFL. He won a Super Bowl title with the Green Bay Packers in 1996, and is the NFL’s only three-time Most Valuable Player honoree. During Allison’s tenure at USM, the golden Eagles participated in two Bowl Games.

As a college quarterback, Allison led Texas Tech to three Bowl Games. Voted the Most Valuable Player in the Southwest conference in 1976, he passed for 1,458 yards and ran for 706. In 1977, he was nominated for the Heisman Trophy and was elected a team captain. He played in the Hula Bowl and the Japan Bowl Senior All-Star Games.

Allison played football professionally for one year with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian football League in 1978.

Allison is a 1980 graduate of Texas Tech, with an undergraduate degree in physical education. He is married to the former Leigh Harris of Durham, N.C. and the couple has two children, Sloan, 14 and Ashleigh Delle, 11.

For more coverage of the Allison appointment go to www.GoMocs.com