chattanooga MOCS

Mickey Brokas – Football – 1970-73
Mickey Brokas was an All-American quarterback for the Mocs from 1970-73.  He was a team captain as a senior under first-year head coach Joe Morrison and was named honorable mention Little All-American in 1971. 

Brokas left UTC with every passing record in the book.  He was 439-954 with 5,869 yards and 35 touchdowns.  He still ranks sixth in career yards, fifth in completions and sixth in TD passes in the Mocs’ record book.

Brokas set single-season records as a sophomore in 1971 with 159-341 passing for 2,195 yards and 19 TDs.  He set UTC’s single game passing yards mark with 361 at The Citadel on Oct. 23, 1971.

In addition to his passing, he was the kicker for his first two seasons.  His eight field goals as a freshman tied the school record at the time.  He finished 10-20 on field goals and 35-41 on PATs. 

Joe Burke – Football – 1977-80
Joe Burke is one of the top receivers in school history.  He posted 94 career receptions for 2,145 yards and 25 touchdowns from 1977-80.  His 22.8 yards per catch over four years is still the Southern Conference. 

Burke had a breakout sophomore season when he finished with 30 catches for 844 yards and eight TDs.  He led the nation that season with 28.1 yards per catch.  That number also stands as the SoCon single-season mark. 

Burke held UTC’s career receiving yards record until it was broken by Terrell Owen in 1995.  It is still third all-time at UTC.  His 25 TDs is the Mocs’ record, while he is tied for fifth with 26 scores overall.  He also holds the school record with 10 100-yard receiving games. 

Five times in his career Burke posted over 30 yards per catch in a game.  He set the school record with 48.3 yards per catch when he had three receptions for 145 yards on Oct. 18, 1980 against Appalachian State.  He finished his senior year with a then-school-record 10 receiving TDs, a mark that is still third all-time at UTC.

Abe Cohen – Football – 1952-55
Abe Cohen was an All-American center and linebacker for the Mocs football team from 1952-55.  He helped Chattanooga to winning seasons in three of his four years.

Cohen was an Honorable Mention Little All-American in 1955.  He was also the team MVP on that squad that finished with a 5-4-1 record. 

Cohen was a three-time Southeastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association wrestling champion. He won at 191 pounds in 1954 and heavyweight in 1955 and 1956.

John Creager – Football – 1976-79
John Creager was named to the Mocs All-Century team as a standout defensive lineman from 1976-79.  He was part of three Southern Conference Champion teams, leading the Mocs to a 13-3 league record over his last three seasons. 

Creager played nose guard and even handled the kickoff duties as a junior.  He was twice named SoCon Defensive Player of the Week and led the Mocs with 128 tackles as a senior.  He participated in the 1979 Blue Gray All-Star game. 

Dudley Merritt – Football – 1931-33
Dudley Merritt was an All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association performer on the Mocs’ football team from 1931-33.  He helped UTC to a 9-2 record and the SIAA title in Scrappy Moore’s first year as head coach in 1931.

Merritt was team captain as a senior in 1933 when he played tackle.  He also ran track and joined Moore’s staff as an assistant coach after graduation. 

Harold Wilkes – Football – 1956-89
Harold Wilkes was a student-athlete, football coach and athletic director who had a remarkable career at UTC.  His footprints on the Mocs athletic program are deep and clear, from playing for college football Hall of Famer Scrappy Moore to leading the program as long-time Director of Athletics. 

Wilkes helped the 1958 team to its win over Tennessee. He later joined Moore's staff working with the Mocs legend until he retired following the 1967 season.

Wilkes guided the Mocs football team from 1968 to 1972, bridging the gap between Moore and Joe Morrison. He posted a 20-33 record in those five seasons, and his 1968 squad was one of the best in school history.  That group went 9-1 with its only loss coming at the hands of Archie Manning's Ole Miss squad, 38-16.

Wilkes took over as Athletic Director in 1970 and held that position for 20 years.  During that time, he oversaw the largest growth in athletics at UTC in school history.  After winning an NCAA Division II National Championship in basketball and finishing runner-up in wrestling, the Mocs transitioned to Division I in the 1977-78 season.

Football joined the NCAA Division I-AA ranks in 1978 and many programs flourished in the Southern Conference under his tenure. Women's tennis captured six national titles from 1977-85, while the men won 10 SoCon titles in his tenure.
Wrestling continued it success at the Division I level, winning the SoCon 11 times and tying for 14th at the 1983 NCAA Tournament.  Women's basketball claimed four SoCon titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 1989.

Men's basketball made a national name even after its national championship with the move to DI. Wilkes hired two head coaches during his tenure. Murray Arnold and Mack McCarthy combined for seven SoCon championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances with the 1982 team coming within a whisker of the Sweet 16 defeating N.C. State the year prior to its Cinderella run.  He oversaw the move into the 11,000+ seat Roundhouse in 1983 later re-named McKenzie Arena.

Memories of Coach Wilkes will last for generations among Mocs student-athletes, fans and supporters.  The Harold Wilkes Award was established by the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011 to recognize a volunteer, coach, staff member or University administrator who has demonstrated exemplary leadership in furthering Chattanooga Athletics.

Dr. Guy Francis – Meritorious Service
Dr. Guy M. Francis served as the team doctor for over 30 years, beginning in 1944.  He was part of the Campbell Clinic staff and became the official team physician in 1967. 

A noted surgeon, Francis was a graduate of Austin College in Sherman, Texas, and earned his M.D. Degree from Baylor University School of Medicine in Waco, Texas.  Francis completed his internship and four years of residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, La.