Chattanooga Mocs wrestling
| Chattanooga Mocs wrestling | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | University of Tennessee at Chattanooga |
| Head Coach | Kyle Ruschell (1st season) |
| Conference | SoCon |
| Location | Chattanooga, TN |
| Arena | Maclellan Gymnasium (Capacity: 2,639) |
| Nickname | Mocs |
| Colors | Navy, old gold, and silver[1] |
| NCAA individual champions | |
| All-Americans | |
| Conference championships | |
| Conference Tournament championships | |
The Chattanooga Mocs wrestling team represents the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) as a Member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) of NCAA Division I wrestling.[2] The Mocs host their home matches at the Maclellan Gymnasium on the university's campus in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States.[3] The Mocs' current head coach is Kyle Ruschell, a former 2-time All-American at the University of Wisconsin.
History
The wrestling team at UTC began competing in the Southern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (SIWA) in 1947. The program joined Division II when the NCAA started the new division in 1963. Under five coaches during the Division II era, 40 Mocs won 62 SIWA individual championships, and the program qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships as a team 1972–77, placing as high as second in the 1976. Also, seven wrestlers earned twelve NCAA Division II All-American citations, and three won six individual championships.[4]
The Mocs moved to Division I and the Southern Conference in 1978 and is the only NCAA Division I wrestling program in the state of Tennessee. Since joining, the Mocs have been the single most dominant team in the SoCon, winning 186 individual conference championships, 13 regular season league crowns (only awarded since 1992), and 28 conference tournament titles. During the Division I era, nine UTC wrestlers have earned twelve All-American citations, and the Mocs have scored at the NCAA Division I Championships every year except 1990, placing as high as 21st in 2005 and 2007. Eight of nine Division I head coaches have been named SoCon Coach of the Year sixteen times, including twice by current coach Heath Eslinger.[4]
Head coaches
| Coach | Years | W–L–T | %age | SoCon titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Carpenter | 1947–51 (5) | N/A | N/A | 0 |
| Russ Scall | 1952 (1) | 3–5–0 | .375 | 0 |
| Andy Nardo | 1953–67 (15) | 77–30–4 | .712 | 0 |
| Joe Geri | 1968 (1) | 0–8–0 | .000 | 0 |
| Jim Morgan | 1969–84 (16) | 209–70–3 | .746 | 6 |
| Ethan Reeve | 1985–90(6) | 57–38–2 | .598 | 5 |
| Ralph Manning | 1991–95 (5) | 33–26–0 | .556 | 4 |
| Mark Leen | 1996–2001 (6) | 43–35–1 | .551 | 3 |
| Frankie James | 2002 (1) | 9–8–0 | .529 | 1 |
| Terry Brands | 2003–05 (3) | 31–33–0 | .484 | 1 |
| Joey Seay | 2006 | 16–8–1 | .660 | 1 |
| Chris Bono | 2007–09 (3) | 39–17–0 | .696 | 3 |
| Heath Eslinger | 2010–2018 (9) | 101–61–0 | .623 | 5 |
| Kyle Ruschell | 2018-present | 0–1–0 | .000 | -- |
Coaches
The Mocs' current head coach is Kyle Ruschell. He was named Interim Head Coach on July 19, following the resignation of Heath Eslinger. Ruschell's staff includes assistant coaches Nick Brascetta, Hunter Gamble, and Ethan Reeve.[5]
NCAA Division I All Americans
| Year | Name | Weight | Placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Byron McGlathery | 126 | 5th |
| 1982 | Charlie Heard | 118 | 8th |
| 1983 | Charlie Heard | 118 | 2nd |
| 1984 | Charlie Heard | 118 | 7th |
| 1991 | Bret Gustafson | 177 | 5th |
| 1992 | Guy Harris | 142 | 8th |
| 1992 | Howard Langford | 158 | 8th |
| 2005 | Michale Keefe | 141 | 5th |
| 2005 | Jon Sioredas | 165 | 5th |
| 2006 | Matt Keller | 133 | 8th |
| 2007 | Matt Keller | 133 | 4th |
| 2008 | Cody Cleveland | 141 | 8th |
NCAA Division II All Americans
| Year | Name | Weight | Placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Bill Burnside | 126 | 2nd |
| 1975 | Randy Batten | 118 | 1st |
| 1975 | Turner Jackson | 158 | 1st |
| 1975 | John Kavelage | 134 | 3rd |
| 1975 | David Weeks | 177 | 4th |
| 1976 | Randy Batten | 118 | 1st |
| 1976 | John Kavelage | 134 | 3rd |
| 1976 | Turner Jackson | 158 | 1st |
| 1976 | Tim Brennan | 167 | 6th |
| 1976 | David Weeks | 177 | 1st |
| 1977 | Randy Batten | 126 | 1st |
| 1977 | Ralph Zigner | HWT | 5th |
References
- ^ "Website Guidelines". Retrieved April 8, 2016.
- ^ "SoCon Southern Conference". The Southern Conference. Retrieved 2014-12-26.
- ^ "Maclellan Gymnasium". University of Tenn. Chattanooga Athletics. Retrieved 2014-01-01.
- ^ a b "2013–14 UT Chattanooga Wrestling Media Guide". University of Tennessee Chattanooga Athletics. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ^ "Wrestling – 2017–18 Coaches". University of Tennessee Chattanooga Athletics. Retrieved August 3, 2018.