Assistant Coaches
Rusty Wright
Marcus West
Linebackers • First Year Chattanooga ‘96 Rusty Wright is entering the first season of his second stint as an assistant coach at UTC. He will coach the linebackers for the Mocs in the 2013 season.
Defensive Line • Fifth Year Memphis ‘05
Wright was a four-year letter winner at Chattanooga from 1992-95. He caught over 50 passes as a tight-end in his career, playing on offenses that included future NFL players Terrell Owens, Jerry Ellison and Marrio Greer. Wright also spent seven seasons on the UTC staff from 1996-02 where he served in various roles, including coaching the linebackers, tackles, tight ends, special teams and the junior varsity squad. Wright spent the last two years building a new program at NAIA-member Reinhardt University in Waleska, Ga. There he was the defensive coordinator for the Eagles, who will play their inaugural season in the fall. Prior to his stint at Reinhardt, Wright spent the 2010 season as the linebackers coach at Furman, preceded by one year as the defensive line coach at Gardner-Webb. He coached first team All-SoCon linebacker Kadarron Anderson at Furman and 2009 Big South Freshman of the Year Matt Goods at GWU. Wright also coached four years at Miami (Ohio) University. The Redhawks won two Mid-American East Division titles in his tenure and Joey Card was a first team All-MAC safety under his guidance. In 2004, he was the defensive coordinator at Butler. Wright is a native of Petticoat Junction, S.C. He graduated from UTC in 1996 with a degree in Sports Administration and is married to former UTC volleyball student-athlete Kelley Black of Cleveland, Tenn. The couple has a daughter, Madison.
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2013 Mocs Football
Marcus West is entering his fifth season on the coaching staff at UTC. A former NFL player, he has worked with the defensive line in each of his previous four years. West has coached two SoCon Defensive Players of the year in his short tenure, both defensive ends. Josh Beard won the award in 2009 while Davis Tull took the honor in 2012. Beard went from a virtual unknown in 2008, to leading the FCS with a school-record tying 12 sacks in 2009. Tull broke the school record with 12.5 sacks as a sophomore in 2012, leading one of the top defenses in the nation. The Mocs’ 30 sacks in 2009 were tied for second in the SoCon and 13th in the FCS. It was also the highest team total for UTC since recording 38 in 1985. Josh Williams added seven sacks of his own to set the UTC freshman record. Williams is now the UTC all-time leader in sacks with 23.5. West came to Chattanooga from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. He was the defensive line coach for the Division III Knights in the 2008 season, helping the team to a 10-3 record, conference championship and a spot in the Division III quarterfinals. West joined the Knights’ coaching staff after playing across three professional leagues. His stops included one-year stays in the National Football League (Indianapolis Colts), NFL Europe (Amsterdam Admirals) and the Canadian Football League (Hamilton Tiger Cats). A star at the University of Memphis, West earned All-Conference USA honors in 2004 and 2005. Current UTC head coach Russ Huesman coached West at Memphis as a tight end during West’s first season. He was voted a team captain and earned the program’s Defensive Player of the Year award following his senior season. West married former UTC and current N.C. State women’s basketball Associate Head Coach Nikki Blassingame in June 2011.