New University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coach Tom Arth has an idea of what he wants his first Mocs staff to look like.
It's a good thing, too, because there's going to be a lot of turnover from the previous one.
In the wake of former UTC coach Russ Huesman leaving for Richmond last week, a number of Mocs assistants have gone with him, including offensive coordinator Jeff Durden, defensive coordinator Adam Braithwaite, offensive line coach Adam Ross, defensive line coach Carey Bailey and cornerbacks coach/recruiting coordinator Rod West.
In addition, linebackers coach Rusty Wright left for Georgia State.
Arth said Tuesday that the most important thing he's looking for while assembling his staff is how assistants would fit "from a character standpoint."
"I want somebody you'd want your players around if you were a father or a mother," Arth said. "If you're going to turn your son over to somebody, you want that person to be a reflection of you - somebody that you can have faith in and has your best interest at heart no matter what, and that's the most important thing to me."
Arth seems to have settled in on his staff, although he hasn't revealed names. The former John Carroll coach confirmed defensive coordinator Brandon Staley will be coming with him to Chattanooga from the Division III program, but sources told the Times Free Press that Blue Streaks offensive line coach Nick Hennessey, defensive line coach Brian Cochran and linebackers coach Matt Feeney would also join Arth at UTC.
Hennessey spent the 2009 season with the Buffalo Bills' practice squad and was activated for the last game of the schedule. Cochran also served as Arth's recruiting coordinator at John Carroll, and Feeney worked there for three seasons after a standout career as a Blue Streaks linebacker.
"You have to have an ability to recruit, an ability to coach and teach, the ability to lead all go hand in hand," Arth said. "If you can find that person that's a quality, high-character individual, cares about players, and you can compare that with a great recruiter who knows football and can teach, then you'll have a special coach.
"I think we're going to have a great staff made up of guys that do that."
Arth said he has talked with the current holdovers from Huesman's staff and "absolutely" hopes to keep a couple.
"That's something that's important to me," he said. "If they're a good fit - and I've met with a number of them - I want that continuity for the players. Some have a really good bead on the team: What's important to them, what's worked for them in the past, what hasn't quite worked, that's all important to know.
"They're very in tune to that, so hopefully we will have some carryover."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.