Football

Tennessee Tech alumnus Jim Bodak says he was inspired to give to the university’s Football Operations Center because of a shared vision among President Phil Oldham, Athletic Director Mark Wilson and Head Football Coach Bobby Wilder to take Tech’s football program to the next level. “I have a passion for football and the university,” Bodak said. “I’m excited that Coach Wilder is there, and I appreciate his enthusiasm and what all he is doing for the program. I want student-athletes to have the very best facilities to help them achieve success both on and off the field.”

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech defense won the day during Saturday’s spring game, but it certainly wasn’t a one-sided affair in the situational scrimmage as the Golden Eagles did see some offensive highlights as well. “I felt overall our football team got better today,” said Tech head coach Bobby Wilder. “I liked the attention to detail – it’s something that we’ve been working hard on. I feel like we played much faster today. The defense had some moments where they really shined. We had some big plays from the offense today. I felt like both quarterbacks (Dylan Laible and Jordyn Potts) performed very well and I was really pleased to see that good mix of returning offensive skill guys and the guys we brought in in January. They really showed the progress we’re making this spring.”

IRVING, Texas – As the National Football Foundation announced its annual Hampshire Honor Society, the roster included a record 1,989 student-athletes from all levels of college football – NCAA, NAIA and sprint football. Among those honorees, four Tennessee Tech football players – Brad Clark, Kail Dava, Cole Putnam and Trevor Stephens – were inducted as members of the exclusive group.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As Tennessee Tech continued its spring football work on Saturday at Tucker Stadium, class was in session as the Golden Eagles went through situational football with officials overseeing the action. “It was really important for us to get the officials here and put the uniforms on so it felt more like game situations,” head coach Bobby Wilder said. “I’m really pleased with their effort and attitude today. We did not have a good practice on Thursday and it was really good to see them bounce back and perform at a much higher level.”

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech football team has been able to get a lot more physical on the field as they continue their spring workouts. The Golden Eagles have already been trying to get stronger with their efforts in the Athletic Performance Center. Now, with the intensity cranked up and the players getting to be more active, the opportunity presents itself to get tougher.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the Tennessee Tech football team took to the Tucker Stadium turf on Thursday, the energy was electric. While it was just the second session of the spring, the team looked seasoned and excited. The offense made big plays, while the defense shined. As the coaches instructed, the student-athletes leaned in on every instruction. They cheered each other on and even jokingly tried to distract their teammates on the opposite side of the ball. It was all in good fun, but the biggest takeaway is that the Golden Eagles are progressing nicely as the spring is really just beginning.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – When college football rolls around in the fall, there’s always a sense of pageantry in the air as the campus community comes together to celebrate. There will be several occasions this fall on Tennessee Tech’s upcoming schedule as the University announced its dates for Family Weekend and Homecoming.

Tennessee Tech University is further strengthening its longtime partnership with supply-chain industry leader Averitt – this time through a major gift from the transportation powerhouse supporting Tech’s rebuilt football stadium. Tech previously announced plans to completely rebuild the west side of Tucker Stadium, home of Tech’s Golden Eagle football team since 1966, to offer new amenities, suites, upgraded seating and expanded concessions, among other improvements. Demolition is slated to begin later this spring. The university will also construct a state-of-the-art, 40,000-square foot football operations center complete with a new locker room and meeting rooms, players’ lounge, theater-style auditorium, sports medicine center and turf practice field. The venue marks a powerful demonstration of Tech’s investment in its student-athletes.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With playing and coaching experience in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Chase Mummau joins Tennessee Tech head football coach Bobby Wilder’s staff and adds additional years of experience on the Football Bowl Subdivision level to the Golden Eagles. Mummau will join the coaching staff, overseeing the safeties on defense.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Last season, Greg Jones coached on the other sideline against the Tennessee Tech Football team as he served as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Gardner-Webb. Helping guide the Runnin’ Bulldogs to the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association’s automatic berth into the Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs and a share of the league’s championship with a 5-1 mark, Jones will now try to lead the combined conferences’ top defense to a championship as he joins the Golden Eagles’ staff as its new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Adam Raymond spends countless hours poring over video to help Tennessee Tech Football prepare for its next opponent, learn how to improve and grow and showcase some of its best moments. As a video coordinator, his efforts aren’t the ones highlighted on the field, but behind the scenes, what he is able to accomplish is invaluable as he oversees a staff of film students and breaks down footage from practice and games. It’s a day-to-day operation handling the coaches’ video to help them figure out what’s working and what isn’t.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech football staff, under the first-year direction of Bobby Wilder, are working away, filing the paperwork and crossing the T's and dotting the I's as they bring in a new class of Golden Eagles as part of Wednesday's National Signing Day. More paperwork is expected to come across as the day continues. The signees Wednesday so far include: Max Leven (Murrysville, Pa.), Turner McLaughlin (Pensacola, Fla.), Mason Taylor (Cookeville, Tenn.) and Steve Brown (Birmingham, Ala.).

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A 2020 inductee into the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame, Thomas Squires was a leader, a friend and a tremendous player for the Golden Eagles. As he passed away on Friday, Squires leaves a tremendous legacy, serving as an inspiration for Golden Eagle football players to follow as to how to succeed on the field and become leaders in life. Squires was 59. Details on his memorial will be shared once they are available.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech added two huge offensive weapons on Saturday as the Golden Eagles brought in a National Champion running back in Michigan transfer Leon Franklin and a school-record holder from New Hampshire in wide receiver D.J. Linkins.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech has bolstered its lineup with two new additions as the Golden Eagles picked up quarterback Dylan Laible, defensive backs James Edwards and Ty Moss, in addition to wide receivers Tramel Jones and Jordan Yates.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It will be an exciting slate for the Tennessee Tech football team in its first season under new head coach Bobby Wilder as the Golden Eagles will face two Football Bowl Subdivision opponents – including perennial powerhouse Georgia – as well as four out of the five games in Tucker Stadium against Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association competition. The combined conferences announced the slate Tuesday afternoon. Game times and special events will be announced at a later time. Tech opens the season on August 31 at historical rival Middle Tennessee. Even though the series against the Blue Raiders has been stagnant since 1998 with just one meeting in 2006 since they joined the FBS level, the series is still one of the longest in the Golden Eagles’ soon-to-be 103rd season of varsity play. MTSU has a 35-32-7 edge in the all-time series with the Blue Raiders winning 14 of the last 16 meetings.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – As the Football Championship Subdivision Athletic Directors Association announced its 26th annual Academic All-Star Team on Sunday, Tennessee Tech came away with a selection on the roster as kicker Hayden Olsen was named to the 52-player squad. Olsen, who was also selected to the inaugural Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association’s All-Academic Team, has posted a 3.85 grade point average in exercise science and physical wellness. He completed the 2023 campaign going 7-for-11 on field goals, including a career-long 54-yard kick against UT Martin. That kick tied Nick Madonia and Haidar Zaidan for the second-longest field goal in program history, earning a STATS FCS FedEx Ground National Special Teams Player of the Week honorable mention nod for the effort.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech bolstered its receiving corps on Friday as the Golden Eagles added transfer wide receiver J.D. Dixon from Bethel University. Dixon’s numbers with the Wildcats were incredible, finishing the 2023 season with 75 catches for 1,256 yards and 19 touchdowns. In his Bethel career over two seasons, he has 136 catches for 2,258 yards and 29 receiving scores. He averaged 16.6 yards per catch and 90.3 yards per game.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With the December portion of the football recruiting schedule in the books, Tennessee Tech added two transfers on the early period signing day on Wednesday, bringing in an offensive lineman from a top-tier Football Championship Subdivision program and a wide receiver from the Football Bowl Subdivision. In both cases, the additions to the Golden Eagle roster put the Tech football team’s plans under new head coach Bobby Wilder into motion.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As Tennessee Tech head football coach Bobby Wilder continues to complete his coaching staff, he has added a young emerging talent to oversee the Golden Eagles’ running backs with the addition of Drew Rodriguez. “We are pleased to announce that Drew Rodriguez will be joining our staff as the running backs coach,” Wilder said. “He was experience recently with Florida International and Towson, and is currently helping Boston College prepare for their bowl game. He will bring knowledge, energy and enthusiasm to our running back room.”

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As Tennessee Tech head football coach continues to build his staff, he will bring in an exciting young talent who has already worked with offensive coordinator Brian Scott as Ben Blessing joins the Golden Eagle coaching staff as a tight ends coach. “I’m thankful and super excited for the opportunity to join Coach Wilder and his staff as we take Tennessee Tech to new heights,” Blessing said. “Time to get to work in the trenches and build something special. Wings up!”

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech football team announced yet another key piece to head coach Bobby Wilder’s staff Friday, adding Justin McMullen as general manager and director of player personnel. McMullen spent the past eight seasons at the University of New Hampshire, the first four as a student and the previous four as a full-time staff member. He served the Wildcat staff in a number of roles throughout his career in Durham, N.H., including video coordinator, general manager, director of player personnel, NFL Pro Liaison, and both defensive and special teams quality control.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tennessee Tech head football coach Bobby Wilder continues to get the band back together as he brings in Eric Acciani to join the Golden Eagle coaching staff to oversee the quarterbacks. “I am pleased to have Eric Acciani joining the Tennessee Tech football family as our new quarterback coach,” Wilder said. “I had the pleasure of working with Eric at Old Dominion. He is familiar with the scheme that Coach (Brian) Scott and I like to run offensively, and our quarterbacks will be excited to learn from him.”

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – When your defense is sitting at the top of the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association, it’s no surprise when your team takes home the accolades. PhilSteele.com agreed, giving Tennessee Tech five defensive honorees out of seven total as it announced its All-Big South/OVC honorees on Friday. Defensive back Tim Coutras was Tech’s first-team selection on defense, while defensive lineman Daniel Rickert and linebackers Jacquez McGowan and Aaron Swafford garnered second-team selections. Defensive lineman Hudson Tucker was picked to the third-team defense, while offensive lineman Nate Hodnett and punter Nick Bigelow were fourth-team selections on offense and special teams.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Frank Wilson Jr. will be reuniting with Tennessee Tech head football coach Bobby Wilder as Wilson will be joining the Golden Eagle staff as the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. “Frank Wilson is one of the best special teams coaches in the country,” Wilder said. “We will be extremely well organized and detailed. It’s also very exciting to have him coach the linebackers and be part of the top defense in the conference. Our players will enjoy working with Coach Wilson. Wilson said: “I’m thrilled to join Tennessee Tech University as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach and reunite with head coach Bobby Wilder. I’m excited for the opportunity to contribute to the team’s success and make a positive impact by helping our players, coaches and the Golden Eagle community achieve our goals and dreams.”

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – John Allen Jr. has been named by Tennessee Tech head football coach Bobby Wilder as his new assistant head coach and wide receivers coach. His experience includes a wide range of levels from the Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, NFL Europe and varied roles as a position coach, offensive coordinator and head coach.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – When Tennessee Tech head coach Bobby Wilder looked at his football staff and was trying to figure out who would oversee the Golden Eagles offensive unit, his first call was an easy one. Enter Brian Scott, who just completed his second season as the offensive coordinator and fourth season overall at New Hampshire. His first two seasons at UNH, he served as the co-offensive coordinator. Now, he brings his talents to Cookeville as he is reunited with Wilder following their days together at Old Dominion.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Bobby Wilder lifted up the whistle Tennessee Tech Director of Athletics Mark Wilson handed him before he was introduced on Wednesday as the Golden Eagles’ new head football coach. He looked at it and grinned, a wash of relief coming across his face. “I’ve missed this,” Wilder told the assembly at the Hooper Eblen Center’s Eagles’ Nest. How could he not? After a short time away from coaching – but not too far away from the game – standing in front of some of Tennessee Tech’s most loyal supporters laying out his vision for the Golden Eagles’ future success, it truly felt like home. When he made the decision on Sunday to become the program’s 13th head coach since it began varsity play in 1922, he had plenty of reasons to accept.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Fans are invited to the Hooper Eblen Center on Wednesday as Tennessee Tech will hold a press conference in the Eagles’ Nest to introduce new head football coach Bobby Wilder. 

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A proven winner, Bobby Wilder plans to shake things up for the Tennessee Tech football program. His coaching philosophy leans toward an aggressive offense and a stingy defense and, during his time at Old Dominion, it delivered results. Wilder was selected Sunday as the 13th head coach in Tennessee Tech football history and things are going to look a bit ‘Wilder’ ahead for the Golden Eagles.