Russ Huesman

Staff Photo by Allison Kwesell
First-year Mocs head coach Russ Huesman applauds players during the first preseason practice for the Mocs at Scrappy Moore Field.

Five members of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coaching staff played for the Mocs. Five members of the 2010 signing class have connections to UTC.

The Mocs family, often estranged during recent decades, is coming back together under head coach Russ Huesman.

"It's not the deciding factor in anything we do," the former Mocs safety said of bringing in players and staff with UTC ties, "but it is a bonus."

Huesman and offensive line coach Russ Ehrenfeld played together three decades ago. Recruiting coordinator Geep Wade, linebackers coach Tony Coode and defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey played together in the late 1990s.

Lindsey is the latest to return to his alma mater, joining the staff last week from UT-Martin.

"Having the UTC behind his name, I think that's neater for him to come back home, and Geep to come back home, than it is for me to say I'm going to hire all UTC guys," Huesman said. "It's a bonus, but it's probably one of the lower criteria.

"I like Geep and I like Jimmy added to the staff. I think they're going to bring a lot of new ideas, different ideas that are going to help us and make us a better football team."

There is something to be said for having a staff loaded with alumni. It has certainly worked for Wofford coach Mike Ayers, who has six former Terriers on his staff, including both coordinators.

"That staff has stayed together, they love that place and it's going to take something pretty special to get them to leave," Huesman said of the Southern Conference school in Spartanburg, S.C.

Huesman is hoping for similar loyalty at UTC. He's also hoping that school pride pays dividends in recruiting since numerous former Mocs are high school coaches in the Southeast.

Rayvan Teague, the coach at Carrollton (Ga.) High School and formerly at LaFayette, played for UTC, and four of his Trojans are now Mocs: J.D. Dothard and Nick Craig signed when Rodney Allison was still the coach, Wes Dothard signed a year ago and Charles Presnell signed last week.

McMinn Central linebacker Zack Rayl's father, David, played at UTC, as did his Chargers coach, Josh Goodin.

"I'm sure (Goodin) didn't tell Zack to come to school here, but he can make sure Zack knows all the good things about UTC," Huesman said. "To have those (former players that are now coaches) feel good about their university is pretty important."

Boyd-Buchanan offensive lineman Devin Caldwell's father, Darryl, played at UTC with Huesman. Caldwell said his father didn't push him toward playing for the Mocs because that's where he played, but because it's a program on the rise.

"It's going to be real good to play where my dad played," Devin said. "My dad didn't really say too much. He just said it looked like one of the top places I could go to school right now."