Gene has been with the Times Free Press since July 2008. Prior to that, he spent three years covering sports for the Cleveland Daily Banner. He now covers Tennessee athletics, focusing on football and basketball. Prior to that he spent five years in the same capacity, covering UTC. Gene spent three years playing college basketball, then played a year of semi-professional before starting with the Cleveland Daily Banner in 2005. His passion is basketball, but he loves all sports of all kinds. He does consider himself a fan of the Bulls (NBA), 49ers (NFL) and is attempting a new-found fandom of the Miami Marlins and Florida Panthers. Gene lives in Cleveland and has a 14-year old son, Judah.
Deanna Brooks didn't grow up in sports, so she never pictured herself sitting on hard bleachers and watching basketball games in adulthood. But here she is.
by Gene HenleyMark Wharton has always understood the competition his programs are up against.
by Gene HenleyThe University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football program has created an environment where area players want to return home if the opportunity arises.
by Gene HenleyChattanooga Red Wolves general manager Sean McDaniel sees an upside to the current state of the soccer team's stadium, but he's also looking forward to the day when there's room for even bigger crowds.
by Gene HenleyPrior to her senior season of high school soccer in 1995, Gretchen Hammel was moved to the defensive end of Grace Academy's formation.
by Gene HenleyThe Chattanooga Football Club uses "Better Together" as a Twitter hashtag.
by Gene HenleyFrom the moment Dan Earl accepted the job as UTC men's basketball coach at the end of March, he had no choice but to hit the ground running.
by Gene HenleyMcCallie's tennis program has been there, over and over again. The Arts & Sciences boys are trying to make their way to the top.
by Gene HenleyAfter losing in last year's TSSAA Division II-AA state semifinals, the Baylor boys' soccer team's rallying cry this season was revenge tour.
by Gene HenleyBoyd-Buchanan's Miles Wood sat on the field at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex, largely inconsolable Thursday night.
by Gene HenleyFor the second straight season, Silverdale Baptist Academy tennis player Kai Lam got a taste of the action in the state tournament.
by Gene HenleyDespite being on different fields against different teams in different divisions, Baylor and Boyd-Buchanan found themselves in almost identical matches in the boys' soccer state semifinals Wednesday at the TSSAA Spring Fling.
by Gene HenleyAwarded a No. 1 national ranking earlier this year, the McCallie tennis team could have shied away from the lofty label. Instead, the Blue Tornado embraced it all season.
by Gene HenleyFor a team that has struggled to score goals at times this season, the Red Bank High School soccer team found itself in a vastly different situation Tuesday afternoon.
by Gene HenleyHaving failed to win a state team championship last season for the first time in over a decade, Gabby Czarnecki and the Baylor tennis team were determined to give themselves another chance in 2022.
by Gene HenleyAlthough March Madness runs are rarely profitable from a monetary standpoint, there usually is no replacement for the amount of exposure a mid-major program can receive in the most important basketball month of the year.
by Gene HenleyThe UTC softball team entered its first NCAA tournament since 2019 with a pretty care-free attitude.
by Gene HenleyTwenty-one seasons. Ten Southern Conference championships. Frank Reed has set a bar for success during his time as UTC's head softball coach.
by Gene HenleyWhen he signed with the Chattanooga Football Club in February 2021, Markus Naglestad didn't realize he was making his way to a city that completely vibes with his passion.
by Gene HenleyIn an alternate universe, Anna Lanter would not have the opportunity to play professional soccer this year.
by Gene Henley