Mocs' growth, despite loss, pleases coach Rusty Wright [video]

UTC coach Rusty Wright watches his Mocs during their Southern Conference win over East Tennessee State. / Staff photo by Robin Rudd
UTC coach Rusty Wright watches his Mocs during their Southern Conference win over East Tennessee State. / Staff photo by Robin Rudd

Rusty Wright took Saturday's overtime 35-34 loss at Wofford hard. So hard, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coach admitted Tuesday, he barely slept for two days.

The remedy? Getting back to work and watching his team work with pride.

"If today was any indication, we're going to be OK Saturday," Wright said, a quick smile spreading. "I have no doubt we'll be ready to go. They were really good yesterday and today. They were a lot better yesterday than I was. I didn't get a lot of sleep, but they were OK.

"Saturday didn't turn out like we wanted, but it sure was fun down there. The guys were playing hard. There was blood and sweat flying, and the guys were making plays. If they didn't believe in what we are doing, they wouldn't have been in that spot to win Saturday."

During Tuesday's media luncheon, as the Mocs prepare for what now is the most important game of the season against Furman, Wright couldn't contain the pride he has in what they have accomplished, despite Saturday's painful loss.

The record (4-4, 3-1 in the Southern Conference) tells only part of the story. When asked to describe the difference between now and when he first started working with his team, Wright laughed before answering.

"We're light years from where we were in the spring," he said. "It took us six or seven weeks to understand just how to practice. I don't think we looked like a football team the first two or three weeks of the season. Now, turn on the film and that looks like a football team."

Realizing the improvement from mediocre to competitive, the first-year head coach then gushed at what his team has accomplished.

"It's been awesome to see," he said. "They believe in what we're trying to do. It's hard, and, as I've told them, 'You guys may not understand the process, but it's going to pay off.'

"Now it might not pay off Saturday or the last three games of the season, but it will at some time."

Sophomore linebacker Ty Boeck, who leads the team with 64 tackles, and offensive lineman McClendon Curtis say there was a specific moment when the Mocs started to believe what Wright and his new coaching staff were teaching.

"Once we beat Western Carolina, I think everybody started having more confidence in what Coach Wright was doing," Boeck said. "Everybody bought in more. We beat Mercer and everybody bought in even more."

Added Curtis: "We started buying in this summer, but not completely, I think, until that first conference win. I think we have surprised some teams, but we know what we can do and what we're capable of doing."

There were times in camp, Wright admitted, where he wasn't sure his team would be competitive, score-wise, once conference play began. The coach, who has played and coached in the league for most of his competitive life, nevertheless believed in his process.

And despite a painful 1-3 start, it has paid off.

"I told somebody this earlier. I think it took us six or seven weeks to learn how to prepare ourselves just to play games on Saturday," Wright said. "Once they saw if we prepare ourselves a certain way, we'll give ourselves a chance to win, things turned around.

"I think they believe in what we're trying to do, and as long as they do it - maybe it's good enough and maybe it's not - we'll have a chance to win football games."

Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22

Upcoming Events