Chattanooga Mocs lose Thomas Brown to GSU

photo New assistant football coach Thomas Brown works with running backs during a recent UTC practice at the Scrappy Moore practice facility.
Arkansas-Oklahoma State Live Blog

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga running backs coach Thomas Brown has left the Mocs after one season, his first as a coach, for a job at Georgia State. The former Georgia ball-carrier joins the staff of new Panthers coach Trent Miles.

Brown, from the Atlanta suburb of Tucker, was Georgia's assistant strength coach when Mocs coach Russ Huesman hired him last February.

"I figured I'd have him for more than a year," Huesman said. "I gave him his first job -- took him out of the weight room at Georgia and gave him his first job."

Brown and the Mocs will find themselves on opposite sidelines at the Georgia Dome next season. UTC plays the Panthers on Sept. 7.

Georgia State is heading to the Sun Belt Conference, in the Football Bowl Subdivision, next season. The Panthers went 1-10 in 2012 playing a Colonial Athletic Association schedule.

"He's making a lateral move here, in my opinion," Huesman said. "He doesn't think so. He did a great job for us, and I thought I'd have him longer. I'm a little disappointed, but that's this profession, man. Nothing surprises me."

Brown did not return a phone call seeking comment.

The Mocs' offensive coaching staff got back to full strength this week with the hiring of offensive coordinator Jeff Durden. Now the Mocs are again a man down.

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