The man who saved Chattanooga football...

[chattanoogamocs]

I usually don't start threads on AGS...and I don't typically brag about my alma mater, nor do I taunt other schools.

But tonight I wanted to share a little about Chattanooga Football and introduce you to the man who deserves a BIG thank you for not giving up on the Mocs.

When former Chattanooga Chancellor Roger Brown came to town, locals and academics were openly calling for him to drop football at UTC. I remember everyone on Mocfans being worried because he was a true academic in his background and a UTK grad to boot. ETSU had already dropped their program and people all thought that UTC was next. The team was terrible on the field, academics were almost as bad, players were getting into trouble off the field...the roster was filled with transfers and washouts that had no love or loyalty to UTC. The Mocs became the first football program to be given the APR penalty of being excluded from the playoffs (not that they would have qualified).

I remember being in the Chancellor's skybox at the beginning of the 2007 season. The Mocs had just lost to Carson-Newman and I remember Roger confiding to a few of us "it can't go on like this much longer." That season the Mocs only won 2 games, the next season they lost 11 of 12 with the only win being against Cumberland (the same Cumberland that lost to Georgia Tech 222-0 in 1916). Chattanooga was at rock bottom and the vultures were circling.

It would have actually been pretty easy at the moment to just throw in the towel. Almost no one cared any more. Even diehard fans openly questioned whether it was time to just dump football and focus on the basketball program which had been the "front porch" of UTC athletics for the last 20+ years.

But Roger, and former AD Rick Hart, stuck to their guns and did not fold...they hired Chattanooga alum Russ Huesman to give it "one more try." And when I say "one more try," I mean that literally. If Huesman hadn't succeeded, the program would have been dropped. Russ and his staff was a hail mary for the program.

And now, because of Roger, in less than two weeks time I will get to take my son to a Mocs home playoff game.

20129

[Twentysix]

Congrats!

[Big_Fan]

Good story! Glad to see you didn't fold. It is nice to have a 'rival' within a reasonable drive. Chatty and tUNA should be in the OVC, but I think you two have the same problem we did with getting in the SoCon.

[NDSUSR]

Please define "saved".
Chatt is still near "rock bottom".
Playoffs will demonstrate this in the most severe fashion again....

[bonarae]

Hmm... NDSUSR: how will playoff performance demonstrate that this is still a work in progress? xconfusedx

But otherwise, great story.

[NDSUSR]

Hmm... NDSUSR: how will playoff performance demonstrate that this is still a work in progress? xconfusedx

But otherwise, great story.
Chatt will once again be proven to be a inferior team in an inferior division.
I wouldnt be so blunt, but you insisted.

Chatt is not a work in progress, its a NCAA fueled pipe dream.

[citdog]

Chatt will once again be proven to be a inferior team in an inferior division.
I wouldnt be so blunt, but you insisted.

Chatt is not a work in progress, its a NCAA fueled pipe dream.


I like most of you Bison people but the above is a exemplary example of asshattery.

[chattownmocs]

Please define "saved".
Chatt is still near "rock bottom".
Playoffs will demonstrate this in the most severe fashion again....

Wtf is this guy talking about?

[dudeitsaid]

Please define "saved".
Chatt is still near "rock bottom".
Playoffs will demonstrate this in the most severe fashion again....

From a fan whose team has never been in the position of Chattanooga. The turnaround he described is phenomenal, and their fan base should feel great that not only they still have a team, but that team is in the playoffs. Whether they win or lose, for a team that hasn't been there in a very long time, that is a victory for the program.

I don't know if your classless post is a response to a poster from their school that seems to get under many poster's skin here, but dang. Talk about cold water in the face!

[RabidRabbit]

Good to see Chatty back into a respectable team. Western Carolina, keep up the improvements. Indiana St., the product on the field deserves a better field and stands.

Enjoy the play-off run for as long as it goes. SDSU had only ONE D-II play-off game in all its history, and is now into its 4th (of 7 possible) play-offs. Just because it wasn't good/great before, doesn't mean it can't be in the ensuing years.

[Professor Chaos]

Chatt will once again be proven to be a inferior team in an inferior division.
I wouldnt be so blunt, but you insisted.

Chatt is not a work in progress, its a NCAA fueled pipe dream.



You need to stop ****ting all over this thread. The stuff you're throwing ain't sticking. It belongs on the smack board and even there it's pretty weak. Comments like yours are the reason why many opposing fans can't wait to see NDSU fail.

[NDSUtk]

Please define "saved".
Chatt is still near "rock bottom".
Playoffs will demonstrate this in the most severe fashion again....
Seriously...quit making the rest of us look like pompous a-holes. Read the damn story...a 2 win season followed by a 1 win season is rock bottom. Making the playoffs and a seed is quite the opposite. Just remember, we went 3-8 in the not so distant past. And we aren't going to win every championship, so have a little class. Else, start cheering for Crookston so you don't get associated with NDSU. Good grief.

To Chat - congrats! Much rather see a program survive and start to thrive!

[bobby.wilson.5667]

In general the vast majority of NDSU posters are pretty respectable and try to represent their school with pride....Every fan base has their share of of a$$hats and I know we have one of the best. It just makes it hard on the rest of the fan base when dealing with them. NDSU is on a great run and their fans have lot to be proud of. We're just enjoying our new found success and see how far we can go.


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[Catbooster]

Congratulations Chattanooga.

[WestCoastAggie]

Congrats. I hope to see A&T there with you all next year.

[dewey]

Seriously...quit making the rest of us look like pompous a-holes. Read the damn story...a 2 win season followed by a 1 win season is rock bottom. Making the playoffs and a seed is quite the opposite. Just remember, we went 3-8 in the not so distant past. And we aren't going to win every championship, so have a little class. Else, start cheering for Crookston so you don't get associated with NDSU. Good grief.

To Chat - congrats! Much rather see a program survive and start to thrive!

100% agree.

Chattanoogamocs have a great time with your son at the game and thank you for posting the story. It is good to hear about programs that have hit rock bottom and have survived.

Dewey

[OL FU]

Congrats to The Mocs. Quite a turnaround.

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

Congrats to Russ, Will Heally and the Mocs. They have a lot of fans here up in Richmond, VA.

I think they can do damage in the playoffs too.

[SpeedkingATL]

Congrats to the Mocs. I've been around long enough to remember when UTC was really good, then really horrible, and now very good again. You finally earned your way to the playoffs so good luck...make a run of it.

[Skyhawk71]

Good luck to the Mocs!!!!

[chattownmocs]

Congrats to Russ, Will Heally and the Mocs. They have a lot of fans here up in Richmond, VA.

I think they can do damage in the playoffs too.

Hiring will Healy and being able to retain him cannot be overstated. That guy is an absolute force in recruiting. I expect to see him as a major college recruiting coordinator in the not too distant future.

[EKU Toss Sweep]

It can be done. Years ago Harbaugh and others stuck necks out to save WKU football and eventually win a National Championship. ISUb is apparently fighting through the same things now. Hoping someone is committed enough to go to the mat for Sycamore football too. Just not this coming weekend.
Nothing beats FCS football. Sometimes you have to convince administrators and others of the fact. Congrats to the Mocs for getting it done. Hope to see you next week in Chattanooga but lots of work for EKU to do first this Saturday.

[Fordham]

great story. Congrats Mocs!