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Tennessee Tech’s 24-9 win over Chattanooga on Sept. 5 wasn’t enough for Golden Eagles coach Bobby Wilder.
Days after his team beat its in-state rival for a second straight season, Wilder used his weekly news conference to unload on Chattanooga coach Rusty Wright.
The No. 12 Golden Eagles (2-0) scored 17 unanswered points in the second half and improved to 18-1 against FCS opponents over their past 19 games. But it was Wright’s postgame criticism of Tennessee Tech’s special-teams alignment that still had Wilder fuming.
“That pissed me off; he said schematically they’re wrong,” Wilder said of Wright’s postgame comments. “(Wright) doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about. Frank Wilson, our special teams coordinator, is one of the best in the country. We’re aligned perfectly for what we do.
“Just look at the two teams: The last two years, we’ve been third and fifth in the country on special teams [per the FCS Special Teams Matrix rankings]. They’re 103 and 42. So, what the hell is Rusty Wright talking about?”
Tennessee Tech coach Bobby Wilder unloads on Chattanooga’s Rusty Wright
Tennessee Tech won the game. Then its coach delivered the knockout blow
Courtesy of Tennessee Tech Athletics
The dispute stems from an onside kick Chattanooga attempted to open the second half. Tennessee Tech recovered and converted the short field into a touchdown, helping turn a 7-6 halftime lead into a comfortable victory.
Afterward, Wright suggested the Golden Eagles’ alignment created an opportunity Chattanooga failed to exploit.
“They shouldn’t be able to get away with how they lined up,” Wright said, “and they lined up like that two games in a row and we can’t take advantage of it.”
Wilder wasn’t interested in letting the criticism slide.
He argued Chattanooga’s players executed poorly and defended kicker Jude Kelley, who failed to place the kick where the Mocs intended.
“He’s an under-the-bus guy. He’s looking to throw anybody he can under the bus to make himself look better,” Wilder said.
Wilder said Tennessee Tech anticipated the onside kick and had prepared for the situation.
“Frank Wilson’s elite at what he does,” Wilder said. “Frank knew it. We had the book on Rusty Wright. We knew he was going to call [the onside kick].”
Wilder also sympathized with Kelley, saying the kick required a difficult angle and missed its target by roughly a yard.
“He gives his kicker an incredibly hard kick to make, and when it doesn’t work, he throws him under the bus,” Wilder said. “That’s Rusty Wright. He’s an under-the-bus guy.”
Tennessee Tech returns to action Saturday against Southern Conference opponent Samford.