Gene Henley

Gene has covered sports in the Chattanooga area since 2008 and has ascended from covering preps to colleges in his time. He primarily covers UTC athletics, a job he's held from 2013-18 and again since 2020, having spent two seasons covering Tennessee pre-pandemic. Gene played four seasons of college basketball and has a 20-year son named Judah who plays at Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri.

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.

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February signees for UTC football include five from Chattanooga area

by Gene Henley ·February 4, 2026

One of the more notable moments in an earlier chapter of Tate O'Bryan's football career took place at Finley Stadium.

Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / Tate O'Bryan (21), a former Cleveland High School standout who spent the past four years at Lenoir-Rhyne University, has signed with UTC ahead of his final college football season.

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Meet the newest UTC football signees for 2026

by Gene Henley ·February 4, 2026

The UTC football program has what now stands as a 39-player class for the current recruiting cycle with its announcement of 27 new additions Wednesday.

Staff file photo / Owen Maddox, right, a senior kicker for Chattanooga's Notre Dame this past fall, has signed with UTC.

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All-female staff has UTC basketball team soaring

by Gene Henley ·February 3, 2026

When Deandra Schirmer was named as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga head women's basketball coach in April of 2024, one of the people in attendance at her opening press conference was Tianni Kelly, one of Schirmer's former assistants at Valdosta State who had just completed her fourth season as the head coach at Division II University of Charleston.

Photo by Ray Soldano, UTC athletics/University of Tennessee at Chattanooga head coach Deandra Schirmer watches the play on the court Jan. 8 against Wofford at McKenzie Arena while assisted by (from left), Nicole Heyn, Mallory Odell, Alexis Uffmann and Tianni Kelly.

UTC women extend streak with defense, Izzy McPherson’s hot shooting

by Gene Henley ·February 1, 2026

The UTC women's basketball team has won 11 games in a row, a stretch of success that has the Mocs atop the SoCon standings at 7-0 with their league schedule halfway over.

Staff file photo / UTC women's basketball coach Deandra Schirmer, left, said the hot-shooting performance by redshirt freshman Izzy McPherson (14) in Sunday's home win against Samford was another example of the Mocs being able to count on multiple players to contribute in a lead role.

UTC men show more fight in second half, but skid hits four games

by Gene Henley ·February 1, 2026

The UTC men's basketball team was unable to overcome a porous start Sunday at Furman, and the Mocs will be trying to snap a four-game losing streak the next time they hit the court.

Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / Teddy Washington was a key player for UTC in its second-half rally Sunday at Furman, where the Mocs came up short, 75-70, and took their fourth consecutive loss.

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UTC women match Mercer’s physicality, pick up 10th straight win

by Gene Henley ·January 30, 2026

It was a simple statement by UTC women's basketball coach Deandra Schirmer at the end of a question posed to her players.

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC players huddle during Friday night's Southern Conference game against Mercer at McKenzie Arena. UTC's winning streak reached 10 games with a 72-59 victory against the Bears, and the Mocs improved to 14-5 overall and 6-0 in SoCon play.

UTC men continue slide with third consecutive loss as Wofford wins

by Gene Henley ·January 29, 2026

In a loss Saturday afternoon at Samford, UTC men's basketball coach Dan Earl expressed some frustration in his team's lack of competitive effort.

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC's Billy Smith looks for an outlet as Wofford's Cayden Vasko defends during Thursday night's SoCon game at McKenzie Arena.

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Mocs continue to replenish football ranks in recruiting with 21 portal additions

by Gene Henley ·January 27, 2026

A season ago, no Football Championship Subdivision team in the country lost as much talent without a coaching change as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football program.

Staff File Photo by Matt Hamilton/ UTC head coach Rusty Wright and his staff have added 19 players from the football transfer portal so far this offseason, a year after massive defections send the program into a rebuild.

Hot start helps UTC women beat Western Carolina, extend streak

by Gene Henley ·January 24, 2026

The UTC women's basketball team started Saturday's game at Western Carolina on a 14-0 run, but the Mocs had to hold on late to clinch their ninth straight victory.

Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / UTC junior guard Caia Elisaldez (11) scored 22 points while shooting 7-for-9 from the field in the Mocs' 61-52 win against Western Carolina on Saturday in Cullowhee, N.C.

Earl frustrated with UTC men’s lack of effort late in second straight loss

by Gene Henley ·January 24, 2026

The UTC men's basketball team lost its second straight game after winning three in a row, with fouls a big part of the problem for the Mocs in Saturday's setback at Samford.