CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Head Wrestling Coach Terry Brands has resigned his position to become the Resident Coach at the United States Olympic Training Center, UTC Director of Athletics Steve Sloan announced Monday.
Brands, who spent three years as the Mocs’ head coach, was voted the Southern Conference Coach of the Year this past season. He led UTC to its 20th SoCon Championship and a 21st-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the program’s highest finish since 1983. He guided two wrestlers this season, Michael Keefe and Jon Sioredas, to All-America status, the first such honors for UTC since 1992.
“This was a very, very difficult decision,” Brands said. “This is elite-level wrestling, the highest level in the world, and something that I have been interested in for awhile. I had this opportunity two years ago and passed it up. This is a decision that should have been made last October. They gave me two weeks to think about it after Nationals.”
The U.S. Olympic Training Center is based in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Brands was extremely complimentary of the UTC wrestling program that he leaves behind and the Chattanooga wrestling community.
“I am leaving an unbelievable situation,” Brands said. “From Steve Sloan to the University’s support to the alumni and boosters, it has been better than I anticipated. I can’t say enough about (boosters) Pat Murphy, Bill Burnside and Alan Jones. I will miss our wrestlers, but my hope is that they realize what they have accomplished here and continue to strive to make the program one of the best in the nation.”
Sloan, who praised the accomplishments and coaching abilities of Brands, said a national search will begin immediately.
“Terry is an outstanding coach of young men and has done a remarkable job with our wrestling program,” Sloan said. “He felt like this was an opportunity that he and his family could not ignore. We certainly thank him for his efforts and wish him the very best.”
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