CHATTANOOGA (January 17, 2026) --- Chattanooga Athletics mourns the passing of 2018 UTC Hall of Fame Inductee Bill Tym, a main architect of the Mocs tennis success in the 1970s and prominent tennis figure in the Scenic City.
 
Tym (1940-2026) passed away peacefully at his home in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, on January 15 at the age of 85. To honor Bill's request, there will be no services or celebration of life. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to Alive Hospice or Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary in Mt. Juliet.
 
Hall of Fame: Tym Ushered in a Championship Era for Tennis at Chattanooga (2018 UTC Hall of Fame Induction)
 
Remembering Bill Tym
After an All-American career at the University of Florida, Tym went on to win 10 international titles as a playing professional in the 1960's before taking over as the head professional at Manker-Patten and leader of the UTC tennis programs in 1970.
 
On the men's side, Tym served as the Mocs head coach for three seasons (1977-79) was credited for the development of NCAA Division II All-Americans Haroon Ismail (1975-76), Rob Castori (1975), Park Lockrow (1976) and Paul Press (1977) behind his professional teaching status.
 
When the Mocs men's program made the jump to the Southern Conference, they joined a league with multiple established and successful programs. Despite the increase in competition, the men's program went on to win the conference eight years in a row from 1978-85 due to Tym's tireless foundational work.
 
Tym served as both the men's and women's head coach in 1979, leading the men to a Southern Conference title and the women to its third-straight AIAW National Championship following one of the most dominant seasons of any sport in school history.
 
The UTC women went 8-1 overall that historic season with dual wins over Indiana, Clemson, North Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia Tech. The Mocs scored a perfect 90 points at the AIAW National Championships in Denver, Colo., to capture the program's third-straight title.
 
In addition to his 2018 UTC Hall of Fame induction, Tym has been inducted into six total tennis halls of fames including the Tennessee Tennis Hall of Fame, United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Hall of Fame, and University of Florida Athletics Hall of Fame, among others.

Chuck Merzbacher, Men's Tennis Head Coach
"Bill was such a legend in our sport. He was impactful in so many lives through the game of tennis. He was an amazing teacher, but more importantly he was a great man and his life has positively influenced all who knew him. Bill always remembered his days at UTC and would send me notes of encouragement while always following our program. I appreciated always hearing from him and I know he will be greatly missed."

GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter. Find out how to join the Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here.