Mocs on the Mic, sponsored by SmartBank, features a pair of softball student-athletes. Host Chris Goforth sits down with seniors Hayleigh Weissenbach and Allison Swinford to discuss each other's plans heading into 2021. Weissenbach kicks off the episode detailing her decision to return to UTC following the NCAA's extended eligibility ruling. The Moreno Valley, Calif., native, along with others, saw her senior season come to a halt due to the pandemic in March. Swinford has opted to step away from the sport due to injury battles following a highly successful three-year career. She chats on her decision to retire as well as her award-winning work inside the Chattanooga communications office as a student writing assistant.

Mocs on the Mic, presented by SmartBank, takes a look at the men’s and women’s tennis teams with this week’s episode. Host Chris Goforth sits down with coaches Chuck Merzbacher and Chad Camper to recap a very active fall season. Coach Camper leads off this week. He talks about how fortunate the Mocs were to be one of about 40 programs playing this fall. The COVID-19 pandemic shutdown most of the 350+ Division I teams, but UTC was able to get in three events. Coach Merzbacher recapped a strong fall for the men’s team. Check out what he had to say about the team following the four fall tournaments.

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This week’s episode of Mocs on the Mic, presented by SmartBank, previews to upcoming men’s basketball season. Joining host Chris Goforth on this edition is head coach Lamont Paris and senior guard David Jean-Baptiste. The men’s schedule is out and Coach Paris talks about some of the challenges with putting together a slate in the current COVID-19 environment. You can feel his excitement about getting back on the court and the start of play just around the corner. Jean-Baptiste is entering his fifth season in the program. He started all 33 games last year and was third on the team in scoring at 12.6 per contest. He is 75 points away from becoming a member of Chattanooga’s 1000-point club.

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Women’s basketball head coach Katie Burrows and senior guard Bria Dial are this week’s guest on Mocs on the Mic, presented by SmartBank. They both join host Chris Goforth to talk about the upcoming season. The schedule is out and includes a new home game against Vanderbilt on Dec. 13. Coach Burrows talks about what the season is going to look like and getting the team focuses on the season opener on Nov. 25 at Tennessee State. Dial led the Mocs in Southern Conference play with 14.5 points per game last season, earning a spot on the SoCon Sports Media Association third team. She had a team-best 48 3-pointers and was second on the team in scoring with 10.3 points per game overall She was second on the team in steals and had 35 assists.

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Mocs on the Mic 42 - Women's Basketball Schedule Release & Preview

Head coach Rusty Wright joins host Chris Goforth for this week’s episode of the Mocs on the Mic podcast today. Coach Wright previews the upcoming Western Kentucky game. The Mocs have one game on the schedule this fall, visiting the Hilltoppers on Saturday, Oct. 24. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m. (E.D.T.) on ESPN3 from Houchens-Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Ky. Chris and Coach Wright take an in depth look at the Mocs as they are in game week for the first time since late November 2019. There is discussion about the depth chart and what to expect from some of the redshirt freshmen you haven’t seen yet.

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This week's episode of Mocs on the Mic, presented by SmartBank, takes a look UTC’s defense heading into the Western Kentucky game. Host Chris Goforth visits with defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward and safeties coach David Bibee. The Mocs welcome back eight starters and 24 letter winners from a strong defense in 2019. UTC was 25thin the FCS in passing yards allowed (193.2) and led the SoCon in interceptions (11) and fumbles recovered (10). Junior Devonnsha Maxwell earned first team All-Southern Conference honors last season and returns up front after tying for the SoCon lead with 7.0 sacks. He was also second in the league with 13.0 TFLs. Junior Ty Boeck is back at linebacker after earning first team All-SoCon honors. He was sixth in the league with 101 tackles last season. The secondary is very experienced with seniors Brandon Dowdell, Jerrell Lawson and Jordan Jones. Dowdell is a two-time first team All-SoCon safety, while Lawson was heading to an All-SoCon season before injuries cut his year short. Jones led the league with 12 pass break-ups.

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This week’s episode of Mocs on the Mic gives UTC football fans a breakdown from offensive coordinator Joe Pizzo and offensive line coach Chris Malone. Host Chris Goforth takes an in-depth look at the Mocs with two coaches on that side of the ball. UTC returns 21 lettermen and nine starters on offense but loses quarterback Nick Tiano. The battle to take his place is between senior Drayton Arnold and junior Cole Copeland. Arnold was the back up last season after transferring from Old Dominion, while Copeland returns to the team after a one-year hiatus. He made the Southern Conference All-Freshman team in 2017 when he was pressed into service midway through the season due to injuries. Malone has six letter winners and four starters back from last season. Senior Cole Strange is a preseason All-American, while Harrison Moon was granted a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA.

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Younger Mocs fans know that junior quarterback Cole Copeland comes from an athletic family, centered around basketball.  His sister, Brooke, played at Florida, while his brother, Bryce, played at Lee University. Brooke's husband is former North Carolina star and current Dallas Maverick Justin Jackson, and Cole himself was an all-state basketball player at Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tenn. What some may not realize that those family connections also extend to the Mocs basketball tradition of excellence.  Cole's uncle, Chad Copeland, was the 1994 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year as a senior at UTC. Chad capped off a two-year career leading the Mocs to back-to-back SoCon regular season and conference tournament championships as well as back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament.  He averaged 20.1 ppg as a senior and was named the 1994 SoCon Tournament MVP after tying a school record with 76 points in three games. Cole's first love has always been football and he has made his mark at UTC on the gridiron.  He earned SoCon All-Freshman Honors in 2017 and is back competing for the starting job at quarterback after a one-year hiatus.

The newest addition to the Chattanooga softball coaching staff and former professional standout, Cheyanne Tarango joins this week’s episode of Chat with the Mocs. Tarango was hired on by head coach Frank Reed on September 1 as an assistant and will work primarily with the pitching staff. The Anaheim Hills, Calif., native previously coached at the University of Louisville from 2016-18 while continuing her professional playing career. Tarango anchored the pitching staff for the Mexico National Team from 2015-19 while capturing silver at the 2018 Central American Games. She last pitched professionally with the Cleveland Comets as part of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league in 2019. Collegiately, Tarango helped lead the Tennessee Lady Vols to three WCWS appearances during her career in Knoxville from 2011-15 including a national runner-up season in 2013.

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