Chattanooga Mocs wrestling
Wrestling team representing the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Chattanooga Mocs wrestling team represents the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) in 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.
| 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 | |
| 6 (NCAA Division II) | |
| All-Americans | |
| 24 (12 NCAA Division I, 12 NCAA Division II) | |
| Conference championships | |
| 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 | |
| Conference Tournament championships | |
| 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 | |
History
The wrestling team at UTC began competing in the Southeastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (SEIWA) in 1947. The program joined NCAA Division II, when the NCAA started the new division in 1963. Under five coaches during the Division II era, 40 Mocs won 62 SEIWA individual championships, with the team placing as high as second at the 1976 NCAA Division II national tournament. The team had seven wrestlers earn twelve NCAA Division II All-American honors, with three wrestlers winning a total of six individual national championships.[4]
The Mocs moved to NCAA 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 SoCon, the Mocs have been historically the most dominant SoCon team, winning 186 individual conference championships, 13 regular season league crowns (only awarded since 1992), and 28 conference tournament titles. During the NCAA Division I era, nine UTC wrestlers have earned twelve All-American honors. The team has placed as high as 21st at the 2005 and 2007 NCAA Division I national championships. 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
The Mocs' current head coach is Kyle Ruschell. Ruschell joined the Mocs staff in June 2018 as assistant coach. He was elevated to Interim Head Coach on July 19, following head coach Heath Eslinger's resignation and earned the full-time position on Aug. 10, 2019. Ruschell's staff includes assistant coaches TJ Ruschell and Hunter Gamble.[5]
| Coach | Years | W–L–T | %age | SoCon Tournament titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Carpenter | 1947–51 (5) | N/A | N/A | -- |
| Russ Scall | 1952 (1) | 3–5–0 | .375 | -- |
| Andy Nardo | 1953–67 (15) | 77–30–4 | .712 | -- |
| Joe Geri | 1968 (1) | 0–8–0 | .000 | -- |
| 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 (1) | 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 | 2019–present (4) | 22–20–0 | .524 | -- |
Southern Conference 100th Anniversary Wrestling Team
The Southern Conference celebrated 100 years of operation in 2021. The league named 100th anniversary teams in each sport it currently sponsors and has sponsored for at least 25 years. Of all member schools (currently and former), the Chattanooga Mocs top the list with 23 wrestlers selected. Members of the 100th anniversary team must meet at least one of the following criteria: SoCon Hall of Fame Inductee (for primary sport), National Wrestler of the Year, National Champion, All-America in two different seasons (not including honorable mention or freshman AA), SoCon Male Athlete of the Year, Two-time SoCon Wrestler of the Year, Three-time SoCon Individual Champion, or 1st-team All-SoCon in three different seasons.
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| David Barden | 1992–1996 |
| Scottie Boykin | 2013–2018 |
| Charlie Buckshaw | 1985–1989 |
| Cody Cleveland | 2005–2011 |
| Josh Condon | 2007–2013 |
| John Davis | 2002–2006 |
| Chad Dennis | 1991–1996 |
| Heath Esthlinger | 1995–2000 |
| John Feldhacker | 1981–1985 |
| Bret Gustafson | 1987–1992 |
| Bobby Hanson | 1997–2000 |
| Charlie Heard | 1981–1984 |
| Michael Keefe | 2002–2007 |
| Matt Keller | 2005–2007 |
| Javier Maldonado | 2003–2008 |
| Larry Meierotto | 1979–1983 |
| Pat Murphy | 1979–1983 |
| Bobby Orand | 1976–1980 |
| Ben Reichel | 1984–1989 |
| Jeff Rufolo | 1983–1988 |
| Nick Soto | 2011–2015 |
| Chris Thornbury | 1985–1989 |
| Cary Waller | 1978–1983 |