Hall of Fame
Mike Royster served UTC for 48 football seasons before retiring in 2021. He was appointed assistant athletics director for facilities and equipment in January 2000 and worked as director of athletic equipment the 26 years before that.
Royster’s responsibilities include overseeing the equipment purchases and inventory of UTC’s 16 intercollegiate athletic programs as well as the repair and maintenance of athletic equipment.
In his role as assistant athletics director, he directs the many facets of gameday management for all UTC sports, including game administration, game officials, promotional event coordination and facilities scheduling and use.
A respected leader in his profession, Royster has served on the Schutt Athletic Council, the Russell Athletic Council, the Adams Athletic Council and the executive committee of the Chattanooga Quarterback Club. He was elected to the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. He has been a certified athletic equipment manager since July, 1991, and has served as the executive director of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association since 2010.
While at UTC, Royster has assisted with the educational and career development of numerous student managers. Many of those have gone on to full-time work in the profession at the secondary school, college and university, and professional levels.
A native of Nashville, Tenn., Royster came to Chattanooga in 1974, from St. Andrew’s School in Sewanee, Tenn., where he coached football, baseball and basketball and was the trainer and equipment manager. Prior to that, he served as equipment manager and trainer at Columbia State Community College from 1968-71. He received a B.S. degree in Elementary Education from UTC in 1977.
He is married to the former Pat Smartt of Monteagle, Tenn. They have two children, a daughter, Robin, a son, Joey. They also have five grandchildren, Benjamin, Carson and Bailey Kate Arp; and Keegan and Michael Royster.
