chattanooga MOCS

Murray Arnold – Men’s Basketball – 1980-85
Murray Arnold became the 13th head men’s basketball coach in Chattanooga annals in 1979. He wasted little time putting his stamp on the program in six seasons.

Arnold’s charges won a school-record 74.6 percent of their games with a 135-46 record from 1980-85. That includes a 74-22 (.771) mark in Southern Conference play. His squads won four Southern Conference Regular Season Championships and three SoCon Tourney titles.

There were three NCAA Tournament and two NIT appearances in his six years on the bench. The Mocs won 21 or more games five seasons including a school-record 27 in 1982. That team went 27-4, defeated N.C. State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament a year before the Wolfpack’s Cinderella Championship and came within a whisker of making the Sweet 16, losing by one to Minnesota.

The 1983 season brought more of the same with a 26-4 record. That team also lost by a point in the NCAA Tourney this time to Maryland. It ended the year ranked No. 15 in the nation in the AP poll.

Arnold’s teams loved home cooking. They went 83-9 over his six seasons, a 90.2 winning percentage. His remarkable final five years saw the team tantalize the Scenic City with a 72-5 (.935) mark in Maclellan Gym and the sparkling new UTC Arena.

He won SoCon Coach of the Year honors twice in 1982 and 1983. He piloted 11 all-league performers with one SoCon Player of the Year (Willie White - 1982). Arnold had 13 All-SoCon Tournament members with Nick Morken (1981), Russ Schoene (1982) and White (1983) earning Most Outstanding Player. He also had five NBA Draft picks join the Mocs in his short time with the program.

George Jarck – Men’s Tennis – 1977-80
George Jarck was a Southern Conference men’s tennis champion for the Mocs from 1977-80.  He won the No. 1 singles title and No. 1 doubles trophy at the 1980 SoCon Tournament. 

Jarck helped lead UTC to three-straight SoCon team championships in the Mocs first three years in the league from 1978-80.  He was also a four-time men's singles champ at the Southern Open and won three Southern doubles titles.

In 1979, Jarck was ranked sixth in the United States ages 21 and under, and was No. 1 in New England.  He went on to play on the pro circuit from 1981-87 and was inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

John Kalvelage – Wrestling – 1972-76
John Kalvelage was a two-time All-American wrestler for the Mocs from 1972-76.  He finished third at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships at 134 pounds in both 1975 and 1976.

When Kalvelage graduated in 1976, his .873 winning percentage was fourth on the Mocs’ all-time list.  His career mark of 77-15 is still in the top-10 (9^th) for winning percentages at UTC.

Three times during his career the Mocs placed in the top-15 at the NCAA Division II Tournament.  UTC tied for 14^th in 1974, before placing third in 1975 and runner-up in 1976. 

Travis McNeal – Football – 1985-88
Travis McNeal was a standout tight end for the Mocs who spent five seasons in the NFL following his career at UTC.  He was one of the top pass catches at Chattanooga from 1985-88. 

A team captain and Scrappy Moore Team MVP Award winner in 1988, McNeal posted 29 catches for 397 yards as a senior.  He led the team with 31 receptions for 456 yards as a junior in 1987, averaging 14.7 yards per catch.  His 14.1 career yards per catch is tied for eighth all-time at UTC.

Following his collegiate career, McNeal played in the 1988 Blue-Gray Senior All-Star game and the 1989 East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.  That led to his fourth round selection (101 overall) in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. 

McNeal spent five seasons in the NFL with Seattle (1989-91) and the Los Angeles Rams (1992-93).

Denise Powers – Women’s Basketball – 1979-82
Denise Powers was the first member of the 1,000-point in UTC women’s basketball history.  She was one of the top players of her era from 1977-80. 

Powers’ scoring records stand the test of time.  Her 1,872 career points is still fourth all-time at UTC, while her 17.3 ppg career average is third in the Mocs’ record books. 

She scored 44 points as a freshman against Bridgewater on March 11, 1977, which is still the second-highest single-game output in school history.  Her 19.7 ppg during the 1977-78 season is the sixth-highest single-season season mark at UTC. 

Her scoring was very efficient and she still ranks No. 2 in career field goal percentage at 60.3% (205-34).  She also hit the boards and is eighth in career rebounds with 842

Defensively, her 99 steals in 1976-77 is still the freshman record, while here 266 career number is fourth all-time at UTC.

Sue Turberville – Women’s Tennis – 1978-81
Sue Turberville Bartlett was a two-time AIAW All-American for the Mocs from 1978-81.  She was a part of two AIAW National Championship teams in 1978 and 1979. 

The last two years of her career, she was the top player on the team as UTC women’s tennis transitioned to NCAA competition. 

Steve Woods – Football – 1977-81
Steve Woods was a two-time Scrappy Moore Award Team MVP winner for the Mocs’ football program from 1977-81.  He is one of just five individuals to win that award twice in a career at UTC.

When Woods graduated, he was near the top of many offense categories at UTC, and his numbers for a quarterback still rank in the top-10. 

He led the Mocs in passing for three-straight seasons, posting career numbers of 303-602 for 5,026 yards and 40 touchdowns.  He is eighth all-time in passing yards and was second he graduated.  He is still in the top-10 for attempts and completions and is fifth in TDs. 

Woods’ 14 200-yard games was the school record, and is still No. 4 on the list.  His 21-6-1 record as a starting QB set the standard at the time and is still second-most wins for a starting QB at UTC.  His 5,288 career total offense is still No. 7 in the record book.