Rolls of old synthetic turf are piled at UTC's Scrappy Moore Field on Wednesday.It was about as bad as it could get for a first-year head college football coach who desperately wanted to find out what his team could and couldn't do on the field.
Rusty Wright had gotten to know his University of Tennessee at Chattanooga players through six weeks of workouts early this year after he was hired by his alma mater late last December, but with the approach of spring practices - when he and the Mocs' new staff planned to do extensive on-field evaluation - there was no longer a field to use.
The Murphy-Haugerud Practice Facility at Scrappy Moore Field sits adjacent to the Tennessee River, giving it one of the more picturesque settings for a college football practice field. However, late winter rains swelled the river past flood stage and sent waves of damaging water onto the field.
It took more than two weeks for the water to fully recede, and what it left behind was nearly complete devastation. The rubber pellets that are crucial components of any synthetic turf field were swept away, making it useless, and the program's 10-foot tall equipment shed, located on the far side of the field, was two-thirds covered in water.
"Rusty has had an interesting first six months," UTC athletic director Mark Wharton said with a shake of his head. "It was the worst timing with him trying to build a staff and recruiting. With the yellow school buses traveling all over Chattanooga and northwest Georgia just to find a field to use, it was tough."
Those days are over for the Mocs, who will once again make a short walk from McKenzie Arena down to the riverfront when training camp begins July 31. Awaiting Wright, his staff and his team is a new - and much-improved - Scrappy Moore Field that will allow twice the amount of work to be accomplished in a typical practice.
"I'm excited about it," Wright said. "We can do a lot of things without having to go anywhere. We will look like a real college football team out there practicing. These kids need as much normal in their lives after this spring. We had to have that facility. That was the only good deal that came out of that weather mess, but in the long run it will really help us."
The facility previously had a 60-yard synthetic turf field and a natural grass field. The new one will feature a 120-yard Shaw Industries turf field with goal posts on each end and a sideline area. The field will be elevated 16 inches, and the drainage underneath has been improved.
Wright smiles when asked the difference between the old and new facilities.
"Before with a small field, we couldn't throw a deep ball," said Wright, who played for the Mocs and was a UTC assistant twice before taking charge of the program. "We're going to be able to do so much more. The grass field is gone now. Before, the grass was gone after about three weeks and the defense had to work on it. It was not a good situation.
"I have a couple of different things planned for camp where everybody is doing something all the time. Getting everybody involved and having a full practice field will allow us to do so much - kickers can kick all the time. Heck, we can even do a full two-minute drill."
While insurance replaced the ruined equipment and would have replaced the turf field, to build what Wright and the program needed was going to cost the university. Wharton said the benefits will more than make up for the expense.
"Insurance helped us with the equipment and the field, but to do what we wanted was a 40 percent cost to us," said Wharton, who added that it will not hinder the school's master plan for upgrades and building. "Since we had the opportunity to do it right, we pushed for it. It's going to be first class and it's something that is needed. The whole school can use it - our band can use it as well as all sports - so it's something that is extremely valuable for us.
"Rusty is so excited to be able to be a football coach instead of a travel agent."
There could be another area of value for the football team. Multimillion dollar practice facilities are valuable recruiting tools for Football Bowl Subdivision programs such as those in the Southeastern Conference. Though Scrappy Moore Field is on a much smaller scale, the appeal of the facility, especially for a Football Championship Subdivision team, is expected to help draw recruits to UTC.
"When we can take a group of kids down there to see that place, it gets their attention," Wright said. "The Riverwalk on one side and the people walking and running, the boats on the water, it's an exciting, beautiful place. Anything you can do to enhance the facilities, you sell it to the kids. I think it will help us a lot. It was nice before, but we're getting something on another level.
"Hopefully it's something to take pride in. I know I will be thankful to make that walk again from the arena."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.