On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic, host Chris Goforth chats with offensive coordinator Joe Pizzo and defensive coordinator Mike Yeager.
The 8th-ranked Chattanooga Mocs just completed fall camp in preparation for the fast approaching 2024 season. Now the team shifts to game prep with an August 31 date looming at Tennessee followed by another FBS road test at Georgia State before coming home to start Southern Conference play against Mercer on Sept. 14.
The Mocs have 14 starters returning - seven on both sides of the ball - as well as 27 from the 2023 2 deep.
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Published on 8/21/2024
Soccer kicks off this week. Head coach Gavin McKinney and host Chris Goforth discuss what to expect this season on the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic.
The Mocs will travel to Tennessee this Sunday and host Alabama in the home opener on August 25. Clarissa Salinas was named to the Southern Conference Preseason All-Conference Team. Keeper Caroline Ekern returns to protect the net and Caroline Richvalsky showed off her offensive skills with a pair of goals in the final 28 seconds against Murray State in the final friendly of the preseason.
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Published on 8/13/2024
On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic host Chris Goforth and Julie Torbett Thomas talk Mocs volleyball.
Entering her third season as the head coach and director of volleyball at UTC, Mocs are coming off of their winningest season yet under Torbett Thomas direction in 2023. After finishing the year 19-14 and reaching the SoCon Tournament Semifinals for the second consecutive year, Torbett Thomas now has her sights set on bringing some titles home to the Scenic City. The Mocs will get their season underway on August 30 at the Alabama A&M Invitational, but fans can catch UTC early as the annual Blue-Gold Scrimmage is set to be played on August 17 at 6 p.m. at Maclellan Gymnasium and is open to the public.
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Published on 7/24/2024
On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic, host Chris Goforth heads down memory lane with long-time broadcaster Larry Ward as he announces his retirement from Chattanooga women's basketball.
Ward spent 26 seasons calling games for Chattanooga and saw the Mocs win 70 percent of the time. He called over 800 games starting with Craig Parrott. He returned with Wes Moore and followed Jim Foster, Katie Burrows and Shawn Poppie with his unique voice.
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Published on 7/5/2024
The 2023-24 season draws to a close and host Chris Goforth gets an update on the Mocs from Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Mark Wharton.
He touches on the construction of the addition to The McKenzie Arena and when the Mocs expect to take possession and move in and what the fans can look forward to when basketball season tips off.
With the departure of Shawn Poppie to Clemson, the women's basketball team hired a new leader in Deandra Schermer. Wharton touches on the process of hiring a new head coach and what to expect from her team.
Many teams had success this season from women's basketball to beach volleyball, men's golf to softball. Wharton discusses how donations are instrumental in driving that success.
Listen in as the pair discuss NIL, Engel Stadium, conference expansion as well as scheduling and alliances.
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Published on 6/10/2024
On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic, host Chris Goforth is joined by head men's tennis coach Chuck Merzbacher and head women's tennis coach Chad Camper to recap the 2024 spring season for each program.
The men's tennis team featured a program record seven All-Southern Conference selections in 2024 which was highlighted by Freshman of the Year Jakub Jupa. The team advanced to the SoCon Tournament semifinals for the third-straight season, marking the first time since 1998-2002 achieving the feat.
The women's team was led by All-SoCon First Team singles player Rozalie Dohnalova in 2024 while newcomer Madlena Orlova found a spot on the league's All-Freshman Team. Graduate student Caroline Gibbens wrapped up her illustrious collegiate career following the season, ending her tenure ranked fifth all-time in program history in singles wins (66) and seventh in doubles wins (64).
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Published on 5/23/2024
On this episode of Mocs on the Mic, host Chris Goforth looks back with softball head coach Frank Reed on a successful season and forward to the NCAA Tournament.
The Mocs won both the Southern Conference regular season and tournament titles, the first time since 2015. In the regular season, UTC swept four series and finished three games up on second place UNCG. The two teams met three times in the SoCon Tournament. The Spartans sent the Mocs to the consolation bracket, but UTC came storming back with a pair of wins on Championship Saturday to claim their 16th tournament crown.
Chattanooga is headed to the NCAA Tournament this weekend and will take on #15 seed Florida State in the Seminoles home stadium.
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Published on 5/15/2024
On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic, host Chris Goforth talks with head coach Darin Van Horn about his team's historic fifth season for Chattanooga beach volleyball, as the Mocs prepare to head to Gulf Shores for the 2024 NCAA Championships.
The Mocs were able to claim both the Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles en route to earning the No. 17 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament bracket. Along the way Van Horn helped UTC earn an OVC-record 14 all-conference honors that included the Mocs sweeping all four major awards: OVC Player, Pair, Freshman and Staff of the Year.
The Mocs are slated to play No. 16 seed North Florida at 9 a.m. ET in the opening round of tournament, with a win pitting UTC against No. 1 overall seed USC at 12 p.m. ET. Both of those matches will be available to watch on ESPNU.
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Published on 5/2/2024
On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic, host Chris Goforth talks with women's basketball head coach Deandra Schirmer. She is the eighth head coach in UTC women's basketball 50-year history.
Schirmer found success at Valdosta State with an impressive 114-31 record in five years. She helped VSU punch its ticket into each of the last four NCAA Division II Tournaments with her team making an Elite Eight run in 2022.
A native of Holton, Kan., Schirmer split her collegiate career between USC Aiken and Cloud County Community College. She was a prep standout in a multitude of sports including all-state in both basketball and volleyball. Schirmer was named a Naismith Award winner for her various athletic endeavors all throughout high school.
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Published on 4/24/2024
On this episode of Mocs on the Mic, it's Wrestling Wrapup Week. Host Chris Goforth and head coach Kyle Ruschell talk all things Mocs wrestling. That includes SoCon Champs Brayden Palmer and Isaiah Powe making trips to the national tournament and the rise of young guns Blake Boarman, Kamdyn Munro & Sergio Desiante.
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Published on 4/11/2024
On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic, host Chris Goforth and several guests relive the 2009 UTC men's basketball appearance on the Jimmy Fallon Show 15 years ago.
Come along as we take a behind-the-scenes look with then-head coach John Shulman, former Moc Nicchaeus Doaks as well as JAy Blackman, deputy AD and Jim Horten, the SID for men's basketball.
NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" adopted the Chattanooga Mocs as its underdog team to root for during the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Fallon stated, "So much attention is given to the same four or five teams, so people forget that all the other teams also have a story to tell. The more we learn about the Mocs the more we like them."
Coach Shulman along with the Mocs seniors and members of the UTC Pep band and cheerleaders traveled to New York following the Mocs first round NCAA Tournament game to be on the show. During the week Dennis Haskins, "Mr. Belding" from "Saved by the Bell" popped up and the audience was outfitted with Chattanooga Mocs "Gold Rush" t-shirts.
Relive the famous connection between Chattanooga and Jimmy Fallon on this week's episode. Follow Mocs on the Mic on GoMocs.com, Spotify or Apple Podcasts as we discuss all things Chattanooga Mocs! Click to subscribe to get notified when each episode drops.
Published on 3/29/2024
On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic, host Chris Goforth talks with women's basketball head coach Shawn Poppie and junior Sigrun Olafsdottir about the Mocs upcoming trip to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
In just his second season, Poppie is leading the Mocs to his second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance after leading Chattanooga to yet another Southern Conference Tournament win in Asheville, N.C.
Sitting at a record of 28-4 on the year, the 2023-24 Mocs are the No. 14 seed in their region, pitting UTC against the No. 3 seeded NC State Wolfpack coached by former Chattanooga head coach Wes Moore. Having swept the SoCon regular season and tournament titles this season under the league's Coach of the Year in Poppie, the Mocs will be aiming to make some noise in Raleigh, N.C., this coming weekend.
Sigrun Olafsdottir's 2023-24 season has seen the Iceland native come away with honors that include being named to the 2024 SoCon All-Defensive Team as well as taking home the 2024 Pinnacle Award at the SoCon Tournament.
Touted as one of the best defensive players in the entire conference, Olafsdottir has a big decision waiting for her at the conclusion of the team's NCAA Tournament run with the four-year starter still deciding whether or not she intends to utilize her final year of eligibility next season.
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Published on 3/21/2024
On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic, host Chris Goforth talks softball with head coach Frank Reed.
Reed reached his 1200th career victory earlier this season with the Mocs first win in the annual Frost Classic.
The pair discuss his accomplishment and take a look at the season as UTC heads toward Southern Conference play on March 22 at Samford.
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Published on 3/14/2024
On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic, host Chris Goforth delves into the volleyball seasons with Director of Volleyball and indoor head coach Julie Torbett and beach volleyball head coach Darin Van Horn.
Torbett is coming off a 2023 season in which she led the Mocs to a 19-14 record on the year, marking her second consecutive winning season at the helm of the UTC volleyball program.
Her tenure at Chattanooga has already seen her reach her 500th career head coaching victory, coach multiple all-conference selections, as well as lead the Mocs to back-to-back SoCon Tournament Semifinal appearances in her first two seasons with the team.
Van Horn is just kicking off the fifth season of Chattanooga beach volleyball, a program that was established by Van Horn back in 2020. Just a season ago he coached the Mocs to a 19-15 record, marking the program's highest single season win total since its inception.
Last weekend, UTC beach volleyball kicked off its 2024 regular season at the Jacksonville Invitational, marking the beginning of the team's 25-match schedule over the coming months culminating in the Ohio Valley Conference Championships, which are set to run April 25-27 in Morehead, Kentucky.
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Published on 3/1/2024
On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic, men's tennis head coach Chuck Merzbacher and women's head coach Chad Camper join host Chris Goforth to preview the upcoming 2024 spring season.
The men's tennis team is coming off one of its most successful campaigns in program history after finishing the 2023 season with an 18-7 overall record, which included a 6-1 mark in league play and the program's first-ever Southern Conference regular season title. The Mocs advanced to the 2023 SoCon title match for the first time since 2006 and eventually finished as runner-ups.
The women's team put together another winning season in 2023 after finishing 14-8 overall and marking the sixth winning campaign in seven tries under Camper. The Mocs earned a national ranking early in the 2023 season after starting the year 10-1 which featured an eight-match winning streak, its longest since 2015.
Both teams have kicked off play against nationally-ranked opponents during the first week of action and feature numerous home events over the coming weeks and months. Follow Mocs on the Mic on GoMocs.com, Spotify or Apple Podcasts as we discuss all things Chattanooga Mocs! Click to subscribe to get notified when each episode drops.
Published on 2/14/2024
On this episode of Mocs on the Mic, host Chris Goforth delves into the men's and women's golf seasons with head coaches Colette Murray and Blaine Woodruff to recap the fall and look forward to the spring.
The Mocs golf teams had good starts to the season. Their respective falls included two team wins for the men and three individual titles between the two programs.
The guy are Top 25 in the mid-season NCAA Division I Rankings with two wins and two runner-ups in four fall forays. The team crowns came at Marquette and Furman with medalist honors for Samuel Espinosa (Marquette) and Paul Conroy (Furman).
The ladies came into the season with just two letter winners returning from 2022-23 and a nearly brand-new squad. They boast a win by transfer Makenzie Cooper at Old Dominion and solid beginning all-around.
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Published on 1/29/2024
Chattanooga women's basketball head coach Shawn Poppie and junior guard Addie Grace Porter check in with Mocs on the Mic presented by SmartBank host Chris Goforth to give an update on the team.
The women are off to a 14-3 start this season, including back-to-back victories over Mercer and Samford to open Southern Conference play. Poppie and Porter discuss the team's hot start to the season, as well as preview Saturday's in-state rivalry game against ETSU.
Under Coach Poppie, the Mocs have a record of 34-16 since he took over head coach responsibilities for the team in 2022. Poppie's win percentage of .680 while at UTC ranks third in program history behind Jim Foster (.875) and Wes Moore (.760).
Porter is currently averaging 5.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game for the Mocs. The Lebanon, Tenn., native serves as one of the two captains for Coach Poppie's 2023-24 squad.
The Mocs return to action this coming Saturday in a battle of the top two teams in the Southern Conference with UTC set to host ETSU. The game is scheduled to tip at 2 p.m. in the Roundhouse.
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Published on 1/19/2024
On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic presented by SmartBank, Mocs wrestling head coach Kyle Ruschell joins host Chris Goforth to recap the 2024 Southern Scuffle hosted by UTC.
The Chattanooga Mocs had its best finish in the recently completed Southern Scuffle since 2012. It was an impressive performance.
Four medalists, also the most since 2012, took the podium:
- 3rd place: Isaiah Powe (141)
- 4th place: Blake Boarman (133) & Noah Castillo (149)
- 7th place: Austin Paradice (157)
That led to the third top 10 ending coming in 8th. That also dates back to 2012.
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Published on 1/12/2024
On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic presented by SmartBank, host Chris Goforth welcomes Anastasia Zhukova, former member of the Mocs women's tennis program and a member of the newest class of the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame.
Zhukova was a two-time Southern Conference Player of the Year in her two seasons in the program. She posted a 23-1 dual match singles record at No. 1 in 2006 and a 24-2 dual match singles record at No. 1 in 2007 for a .940 career winning percentage (47-3). She was an All-SoCon singles and doubles honoree both years and was an ITA Scholar-Athlete with a 3.9 GPA. Her No. 23 Division I ranking is the highest in UTC history and she was also No. 47 in the country in doubles. Zhukova was named to the SoCon All-Century team announced in 2021.
Tune in to hear about her time at UTC and what she is doing today.
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Published on 12/22/2023
On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic presented by SmartBank, host Chris Goforth continues his talks with the newest members of the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame. This week's guest is current Mocs softball head coach Frank Reed.
Reed, in his 23rd year at UTC, was inducted into the 2023 Class alongside former student-athlete Michelle Fuzzard LaCourse. The six-time SoCon Coach of the Year has more than 700 wins at UTC and is on pace to top the 1200 career mark this spring. He has guided the Mocs to eight SoCon regular season titles and 10 SoCon Tournament crowns, the most of any school in the league. UTC has made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. He has coached three SoCon Players of the Year, six SoCon Pitchers of the Year, four SoCon Freshmen of the Year and dozes of all-conference student-athletes.
The pair also discuss the 2024 Chattanooga softball season that includes 15 home games as well as two annual tournaments.
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Published on 12/14/2023
On this episode of Mocs on the Mic presented by SmartBank, host Chris Goforth meets with football head coach Rusty Wright to recap an exciting season.
The Chattanooga Mocs completed the 2023 football season last weekend reaching the second round of the FCS Playoffs for the fourth time in school history. It was quite the campaign.
The Mocs won eight games for the 13th time and six in the SoCon for the fifth occasion. It was definitely a tribute to the character in the locker room.
The Mocs battled injury and 10 consecutive weeks of games before a rest to continue building the program on a solid foundation.
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Published on 12/7/2023
On this episode of Mocs on the Mic presented by SmartBank, host Chris Goforth talks with the first of our UTC Athletics Hall of Fame inductees, Michelle Fuzzard LaCourse (2008-12).
She earned multiple accolades in her five years with Chattanooga. She was named the 2008 SoCon Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year in 2011. She was named to the league's All-Conference First Team three times and is the first player in SoCon history to earn First Team (1B) and Second Team (P) honors in the same season (2009).
She, along with softball head coach Frank Reed, was honored on October 6. The UTC Athletics Hall of Fame was established to formally recognize outstanding contributions to the heritage and tradition of the University's intercollegiate athletics program. A total of 240 individuals have been inducted into the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame during special ceremonies held each year.
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Published on 11/30/2023
On the latest episode of Mocs on the Mic presented by SmartBank, host Chris Goforth catches up with former Mocs football player and wrestler Torrez Finney.
Goforth and Finney, also known as "The Punisher", discuss his fight in Dana White's Contender Series in Las Vegas on October 10 and his future in MMA. Finney is 7-0-0 and got a submission against previously undefeated Yuri Panferov.
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Published on 11/16/2023
On this episode of Mocs on the Mic presented by SmartBank, host Chris Goforth welcomes Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development Ryan Jones.
Jones directs the Mocs Club, the philanthropic arm of the athletics department. On "Mocs Give Day" a record $1,103,861 was raised in cash and commitments from 711 donors. Jones and Goforth discuss where that money is used and future projects.
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Published on 11/9/2023
