One might think that after nearly 40 seasons of collegiate coaching, Watson Brown has pretty much seen it all. But what the veteran coach saw in his team's amazing, fourth-quarter comeback victory over Jacksonville State in the 2010 season finale impressed him so much that he has made a change in his approach to the 2011 season.

Bottom line - better not blink or you might miss a play or two. The Golden Eagles hope to exhibit "The Fastest 60 Minutes in Football" when they take the field in 2011. Ever the offensive inovator, Brown will combine all the knowledge he has gained through 39 seasons on the sidelines with a fast-paced system aimed at giving the Golden Eagles an edge as they bid for an Ohi Valley Conference championship.

Of course, he wouldn't be in a position to make the change unless the Golden Eagle roster included enough talent to carry it out. But Brown's staff has done a remarkable job in recruiting the past several years, and has raised the talent level walking the sidelines in Tucker Stadium.

In short, don't be suprised by anything that Brown's team accomplishes.

Born and raised in Cookeville, he came back home in in 2007 and his first four seasons at Tennessee Tech have been a whirlwind of excitement marked by a resurgence in support for Golden Eagle football.

The veteran coach has used an even-tempered approach to teach his young staff and players, and the first four years have only increased Tech’s desire to reclaim supremacy in the Ohio Valley Conference.  The Golden Eagles are primed and ready to go back on the attack. 

The 2011 season will be Brown’s 39th year of coaching collegiate football overall and his 27th year as a collegiate head coach.

Brown, 60, was named in December 2006 as the new head football coach of the Tennessee Tech University Golden Eagles. He returned to his hometown as the 10th head football coach in Tech history.

“We’re excited to be coming back to Cookeville,” Brown said at the packed press conference. “This is a great opportunity to make a move and really improve the Golden Eagle football program to the point where we can win conference championships and make a run at a national championship.”
   
Brown left his position as head coach at UAB after 12 seasons.
   
Brown has previously coached at two schools that are members of the Ohio Valley Conference, serving as head coach at Austin Peay for two years and assistant coach at Jacksonville State, then a Division II program, for two years.
   
“Cookeville is home. It’s where my wife and I are from, and it’s neat to have that as part of this decision, too,” Brown said.
   
Brown returned to the town where he was a talented baseball, football and basketball player at Cookeville High School. He signed with Vanderbilt out of high school and was a standout quarterback for the Commodores from 1969-72. He is best remembered by many Commodore fans for leading Vandy to a 14-10 victory over Alabama in 1969. Brown was named the Sports Illustrated National Back of the Week for his efforts.
   
Support for Brown was evident from Day One, and it carried over through the 2007 season with record season ticket sales. Tech’s first home game drew the largest opening day crowd in the 43-year history of Tucker Stadium.
   
He has worked hard in his effort toward rebuilding the Golden Eagles into Ohio Valley Conference champions and has had the support of the community and the Upper Cumberland Region. A popular speaker, Brown has addressed numerous clubs and organizations throughout the region during his time at Tech.
   
He has also found success on the recruiting trail, signing four of the most promising groups of newcomers in the program’s history.
   
Raising the talent level at Tech is a key step in taking the Golden Eagles to a conference championship. It’s a step that Brown is familiar with -- after all, building programs has been a calling card for Watson Brown.
   
The remarkable growth of the UAB program under Brown’s guidance was a major factor in UAB’s entry into Conference USA play in 1999. That year for their C-USA debut, the Blazers recorded a 5-6 overall record against a brutal all I-A schedule, finishing in a four-way tie for second place with a 4-2 league record.
   
Under Brown, UAB was bowl-eligible three times in seven seasons and in 2004 attained their previously elusive first bowl invitation with a trip to Honolulu to play in the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl.
   
A proven veteran in the coaching profession, Brown is known as one of the best offensive minds in football.
   
He made his head coaching debut in 1979 in the Ohio Valley Conference directing the Austin Peay Governors, and at age 29, he was one of the youngest head coaches in the nation. He posted 7-4 records in both 1979 and 1980, twice being runner-up for Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors.
   
Brown began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Vanderbilt in 1973 and was a full-time assistant coach for the first time in 1974 as Pat Dye’s quarterback and receiver coach at East Carolina. The Pirates were 7-4 in 1974 and 8-3 in 1975, posting victories over several Atlantic Coast Conference opponents.
   
Brown was the offensive coordinator at Jacksonville State University in 1976 and 1977 (at the time JSU was a Division II program, and currently is a member of the OVC). During those two seasons, the Gamecocks finished 7-4 and 11-3, and played for the Division II national championship in 1977.
   
Brown was the quarterbacks and receivers coach at Texas Tech in 1978, where the Red Raiders posted a 7-4 record in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year.
   
While serving as offensive coordinator at Vanderbilt for two seasons (1981-82), Brown’s offense set 57 school records and the Commodores posted an 8-3 record and made a Hall of Fame Bowl appearance (1982).
   
In 1983, Brown was head coach at Cincinnati, where he led the Bearcats to a season-opening 14-3 victory at defending national champion Penn State.
   
Before coaching at Vanderbilt, Brown was athletic director and head football coach at Rice (1984-85). He led the Owls to two of their best offensive seasons.
   
From 1986-90, Brown was the head coach at Vanderbilt, his alma mater.  In 1991 and 1992, Brown was the offensive coordinator at Mississippi State under head coach Jackie Sherrill. During those two seasons, the Bulldogs posted a 14-10 record, made two bowl appearances and upset three nationally-ranked opponents.
   
Prior to going to UAB, Brown was the offensive coordinator at the University of Oklahoma (1993-94).
   
Coaching is a big part of Brown’s family. His brother Mack Brown is the head coach at Texas and won a national championship with the Longhorns. His grandfather, Eddie “Jelly” Watson, was a legendary prep football coach, compiling a 106-51-13 record at Cookeville High School.
   
Brown’s brother Mel resides in Cooke­ville. Watson Brown is married to the former Brenda Arnold, and they have two children; daughter Ginny, who was a four-year letterwinner at Georgia State University (1996-00), and a son Steven, who was a wide receiver/quarterback for the Golden Eagles in 2007 and has joined his father’s coaching staff. After filling a role as a graduate assistant coach in 2008, Steven is now an assistant coach working with the quarterback and runningbacks.    
   
Watson Brown is Tech’s 10th head football coach since 1922, joining the ranks of Loyall Duck, Putty Overall, Hooper Eblen, Star Wood, Wilburn Tucker, Don Wade, Gary Darnell, Jim Ragland and Mike Hennigan.
   
Brown’s many achievements as a student-athlete and later as a coach in the state of Tennessee have not gone unnoticed. Four years ago he was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
   
In 2010, the National Football Foundation recognized Watson by seleecting him as the recipient of the Roy Kramer Contribution to Football Award.

Billy Taylor is in his fourth season on the Golden Eagle coaching staff, and the 3-4 system he installed for the defense upon his arrival appears primed to have a huge impact on the team's championship fortunes in 2011. Serving as associate head coach for Watson Brown, he is also the defensive coordinator and coaches the inside linebackers. He joined the staff on Jan. 29, 2008.
   
Taylor, 47, came to Tech from UT Chattanooga, where he was the Mocs’ defensive coordinator for three seasons. Two years ago, the Golden Eagles were first in the Ohio Valley Conference in turnover margin. Last year, the Tech defense ranked second in the OVC in intercetions and turnover margin.
   
Taylor joined the UTC staff following the 2004 season, filling the role of defensive coordinator while also coaching the inside linebackers. Prior to his arrival at UTC, Taylor served as Elon’s defensive coordinator and also coached inside linebackers for one year in 2004.
   
Nearly all of Taylor’s collegiate coaching career prior to Tech was within the Southern Conference as he has also worked at East Tennessee State and Wofford.
   
Taylor joined head coach Paul Hamilton’s staff at Elon in 2004 after serving on Hamilton’s staff at East Tennessee State. Taylor worked at ETSU from 1997 to 2003, coaching linebackers. He served five years as the recruiting coordinator and the final two as the defensive coordinator.
   
Taylor-coached defenses at ETSU and Elon caused an incredible 92 takeaways in three years from 2002 to 2004. His Buccaneer defensive unit led the SoCon in 2002 and 2003, and the Phoenix ranked second in the league in takeaways in 2004 with 25. His 2003 ETSU defense ranked among the top 30 in the nation in eight different defensive categories.
   
The Morristown, Tenn., native was an assistant coach at Wofford from 1991-96, working as the linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator for head coach Mike Ayers. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Southern Mississippi in 1989 and 1990.
   
Taylor earned a degree in Mass Communications from ETSU in 1988. He was a three-year starter as an outside linebacker for the Bucs and was voted team captain his senior year in 1987.
   
He is married to the former Kristine Renz of Easley, S.C., and the couple has two children, Mikaelah Jean, 13, and McKenzie, 10.
   
His brother, Bobby Taylor, is a former Tech football letterman.

Steven Brown, 26, made the move from the playing field to the coaching staff in 2007, spending one season as a graduate assistant on Watson Brown’s staff. In 2008 he moved into an assistant coaching role and enters his fourth season working primarily with Golden Eagle quarterbacks and runningbacks.

In 2009, he helped quarterback Lee Sweeney accomplish his most successful season, and also helped mold several young signal-callers including freshman Tre Lamb and junior Cass Barnes. Last year that work paid dividends as Lamb and Barnes called on that experience as Tech's signal-callers in 2010.

This season he will work to belnd the returnees, including Lamb and Dontey Gay, with new faces such as Adam Urbano and Darian Stone.

An experienced player who had two seasons at UAB and one at Tech, Steven had one season of eligibility remaining in 2008, but passed on the chance to play his final season for the opportunity to begin his coaching career.

The son of head coach Watson Brown, Steven played two seasons at UAB then transfered to Tech in 2007 where he played both wide receiver and quarterback for the Golden Eagles.

A highly recruited prep quarterback out of high school, he originally enrolled at Auburn in 2004, then moved to UAB and made the transition to receiver in 2005. In 2006 he played in 11 of 12 games for the Blazers, ranking fifth on the team with 14 catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns.

In his one season for the Golden Eagles, he had 12 catches for 164 yards as an inside receiver. In the middle of the season, with injuries to the top three quarterbacks, Steven stepped under center and played quarterback. He finished the year going 22-for-34 for 252 yards and one touchdown, posting a 119.02 quarterback rating.

In high school, he was named honorable mention on the Class 6A All-State team in 2003 as a senior quarterback, helping lead Vestavia Hills to a 12-2 record and an appearance in the state semifinals.

Thomas Cox is in his fifth season on the Golden Eagle coaching staff and his third season coaching the offensive line, which is expected to shine in 2011 as one of the strengths of the program. He worked his first two seasons in Cookeville directing the Golden Eagle wide receivers, helping develop talents such as Larry Shipp and Tim Benford. For the past two years, the 31-year-old has worked at developing the skills of several projected standouts such as Slade Adams, Scott Schweitzer, Michael Baker, Hunter Beedle and Malcolm Jones.

Proving throughout his coaching career that he is more than capable of handling the toughest tasks, Cox has molded a unit that can provide protection to Tech’s talented quarterbacks but also smash open holes for the deep stable of runningbacks.

During his first year on the staff, Cox helped Shipp shatter numerous school records on his way to earning first-team all-OVC laurels as well as All-America recognition. Cox was also influential in helping his receivers adapt to the constant changes Tech underwent at quarterback due to injuries in 2007. In 2008 under his direction, Tim Benford set a school record for receptions and was named the OVC Freshman of the Year.

During the 2009 season, his first with the offensive line, Cox helped guide Slade Adams to all-OVC laurels as a freshman. Last year he was successful in bringing numerous talented newcomers into the program and working with them to help make them huge contributors -- players such as Wesley Sherrill, Randall Reeves and James Normand.

A former starting quarterback at UAB under Watson Brown, Cox came to Tennessee Tech in 2007 from a graduate assistant coaching position at North Carolina State. He spent two seasons working with receivers on Chuck Amato’s Wolfpack staff.

His coaching experience began with a couple of seasons on the high school level, followed by two years at N.C. State.

An effective communicator, Cox has developed an extremely strong knowledge of the game.

A native of Bessemer, Ala., Cox played his collegiate career under Brown at UAB, including 11 games as a starter for the Blazers. A member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll, the UAB Dean’s List and the UAB Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, Cox was 7-4 as a starter. He was named as a National Strength and Conditioning Association All-American.

In December 2002, Cox received his bachelor’s degree in history from UAB and began his coaching career at Campbell High School in Smyrna, Ga. He worked with the quarterbacks and also served as head coach of the freshman team during his first year at Campbell, and was the running backs coach for the varsity squad in his second campaign.

In June 2005, he moved to North Carolina State to pursue a master’s degree in Liberal Studies and take a graduate assistant position with the Wolfpack. During his time at N.C. State, he was part of the Wolfpack coaching staff that led the team to the 2005 Meineke Car Care Bowl. He received his master’s degree in June 2007.

Cox is married to the former Jackie Tharp. The couple welcomed their first child, Johnna, on Nov. 23, 2008 They are expecting their second child on Nov. 1.

Will Holthouser has had a major impact on the Tennessee Tech football team in his first four seasons on the staff, most noticeably with the record-breaking performances of Tech’s special teams which are directly under his charge.

In 2010, he added the title of assistant head coach in addition to being special teams coordinator. He also coaches the safeties and outside linebackers.

Holthouser, 61, was hired in January 2007, to coach Tech’s defensive secondary and serve as the coordinator of the special teams. Now a 34-year collegiate coaching veteran, Holthouser spent the previous two seasons as defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Gardner-Webb University before his arrival in Cookeville.

His years of experience have not only aided Tech’s efforts on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage, they have helped in special teams preparations, as well. Tech either led the league or was near the top in kickoff returns in 2007, 2008 and 2009, and last year ranked first in kickoff coverage. The Golden Eagles led the OVC in punt returns in 2007 and ranked second last year, and have blocked 14 kicks in three years under Holthouser’s guidance.

A native of Elkin, N.C., and a graduate of Wake Forest University, Holthouser was a member of the Deacons’ 1970 ACC championship team, their only league title until 2006. A defensive lineman during his playing career, he earned his degree in business in 1974.

Holthouser coached at Gardner-Webb three different times. In 1997, he was the assistant head coach as well as defensive coordinator. During that year, he helped Gardner-Webb post an 8-3 record and the nation’s best turnaround on the Division II level.

Prior to becoming a collegiate assistant coach, Holthouser spent seven years in Charlotte, N.C., as a high school coach.

He began his college coaching career at The Citadel in 1983, and has served as defensive coordinator with VMI, Western Carolina, Gardner-Webb, Elon and UT Chattanooga. He has had two different stints at VMI and Elon, as well as his time at Gardner-Webb.

Sidney Powell, 36, joined the Tennessee Tech football coaching staff in 2009 and heads into his third season. This year, his assignment has expanded from working with the team's talented cornerbacks to coaching the entire Golden Eagle secondary. He will coach some of the top athletes on the team, including projected starters Richmond Tooley, Caleb Mitchell and Marty Jones, who combined to make 14 interceptions in the past three years. He will also work with Will Johnson as he makes the move to rover from inside linebacker.

In 2010, Powell also adopted the role of coordinator of Tech's passing game defense.
   
A 15-year collegiate coaching veteran, Powell came to Tech after three years in a similar position at Ball State University. He has also coached at Massachusetts, Sacred Heart and Northeastern, helping win championships at every stop including the 1998 I-AA national championship while at UMass.
   
Powell is from Newnan, Ga., and graduated from Newnan High School in 1993. He was  a four-time letterwinner and three-year starter as a safety at Morehouse College, receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1997 in Health and Physical Education.
   
His first coaching position was at UMass, working as a graduate assistant with the Minutemen in 1998 and 1999. He helped take the team from a 2-9 record before his arrival to the national championship and a 12-3 record in 1998.
   
His first full-time post was at Sacred Heart in 2000 and 2001. While there, Sacred Heart won 21 games in his two seasons after winning just four games in the previous two years.
   
In the summer of 2001, Powell participated in the National Football League’s Summer Internship Program as a defensive backfield assistant with the Seattle Seahawks.
  
In 2002, he accepted a post at Northeastern University, helping to win the first league championship in school history.

He returned to Massachusetts in 2004 and 2005 and helped lead the team to a winning record both seasons. With Powell directing the secondary, UMass ranked first in the nation in scoring defense in 2005 and led the Atlantic 10 Conference in total defense, pass defense and pass defense efficiency. 

Powell tutored Shannon James, a first-team all-conference selection and the 2004 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year.
  
That success earned him a position as assistant coach at Ball State for the past three years. During that span, his secondary intercepted 32 passes and led the Mid-America conference. Among his standout players were all-conference defensive backs B.J.Hill and Trey Lewis, both ranked among national interception leaders, and All-MAC safety and team MVP Erik Keys, a 2007 free agent signee with the Tennessee Titans.
  
In 2008, Powell helped Ball State to a 12-0 regular season record and the GMAC Bowl, finishing the year ranked 23rd nationally. He coached safety Sean Baker who led the MAC in interceptions and was named Freshman All-America as well as the MAC Freshman of the Year.
 
Married to the former Charmer Chadan, the couple has one son, Brandon (8).

Working with Tennessee Tech's talented group of outside receivers will be assistant coach Ron Sigler, who joined the Golden Eagle coaching staff in 2010 and is now in his second season in Cookeville. A native of Mobile, Ala., and a graduate of UAB, Sigler played his collegiate career under Watson Brown at UAB and began his coaching career under the Golden Eagle mentor as a student assistant with the Blazers. He spent 11 years as an assistant coach at Midfield High School in Birmingham, Ala., prior to rejoining Brown as a member of the Golden Eagle staff.

Sigler played a role in Tim Benford's repeat performance as an all-OVC selection last season, and this year will mentor the all-America candidate as he bids to make a clean sweep of the Tech record book. In addition to the threat that Benford provides, Sigler is also working to develop an assortment of other Golden Eagle receivers who will play a major role in Tech's fast-paced attack in 2011. Among the returnees expected to have an impact at the X and Z positions are Carter Crutchfield, Demetrous Garrett, Josh WIlson and Cody Matthews.

Sigler, 36, was a standout athlete at McGill-Toolen High School in Mobile, competing in football, basketball and track & field. His college career was spent playing on Brown’s team at UAB from 1993 to 1996. Originally a runningback, he moved to the slot receiver and eventually played the H-back/tight end role in Brown’s system because of his athletic versatility

He earned his degree in psychology from UAB in 1997 and in 1999 he embarked upon his career in coaching as an assistant at Midfield High School. He spent the next 11 years as the offensive coordinator at Midfield, helping the team to eight area titles and the AHSAA playoffs in nine of the 11 years. The team won an average of nearly 10 games per year and his potent offense averaged 37 points per game.

Ron and his wife, Mary, have been married 12 years. They have one daughter, Yari, 8, and one son, Riley, 5.

A former player and volunteer assistant coach for Watson Brown at UAB, Sam Williamson is now in his fifth season as the defensive line coach on the Tennessee Tech football coaching staff. Williamson also coordinates the running game defense, a role he added to his coaching duties last season.

In his first season on the Tech staff, he helped shape the final season for seniors Geoffrey Woods and John Jackson, both named all-OVC under Williamson’s direction. Last year's defensive line featured senior captains Charlie Seivers and Dedrick Miley, along with senor Justin Hilliard, named second-team all-OVC.

This year, Williamson's challenge is to replace those graduated seniors, but he has a group of eager young players who have gained some experience and are anxious to step forward into key roles. The list of returnees under Williamson's direction at the inside positions (Anchor and Rock) includes senior Travis Adkins, junior LaDarius Verge, sophomores Jordan Johnson, Lamar Moor, Nick White and DuJuan Brown, and redshirt freshmen Nathan Bush and Matthew Smith.

At the end positions (Bear and Ram), Williamson is working with some of the top players on the defensive side of scrimmage, including returing starters Jamere Hogue, Marcus Edwards and Dwight Evans.

Williamson, 28, is a 2005 graduate of UAB where he was a four-year letterman as a defensive tackle for the Blazers. He is a native of Greenville, Ala.

Following graduation, he spent one season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Blazers, helping to mold the defensive line. He worked in developing the talents of NFL players Jermaine McElveen and Kyle Bissinger.

Currently in his first full-time position, Williamson had the opportunity to learn Brown’s system as both a player and coach at UAB, and has been able to put that knowledge and experience to use in working toward building a winner at TTU.

Elected as the captain of both the football and basketball teams at Greenville (Ala.) High School, Williamson continued in a leadership role with the Blazers during his collegiate career. He was twice named the team captain, twice chosen the Conference USA Player of the Week, and was named to the C-USA Academic Honor Roll.

A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Williamson was also active in the Big Brother, Big Sister program in Birmingham during his playing career.

A defensive tackle, he was a full-time starter his final two years and saw some additional starting duty as a sophomore in 2003. He finished his career with 106 total tackles, including 12 tackles-for-loss and four quarterback sacks.

In 2004, he was on the field for the Blazers when they played in the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl.
Williamson received his bachelor’s degree in Justice Science in 2005, and was a volunteer assistant coach during the 2006 season, working with the defensive line.

He also worked one year in the Sports Medicine and Fitness program at UAB, mentoring high school seniors and supervising student-athletes from high schools and middle schools.

Williamson is the proud father of one son, Braylon Williamson, born May 6, 2008.

A former player for the Golden Eagles, Brandon Barnes spent his first sason back on campus as an administrative assistant for Watson Brown's coaching staff. In 2011, the former starter in the offensive line moves onto the field in the role of graduate assistant coach where he will work alongside assistant coach Sam Williamson with the defensive line.

A native of East Ridge, Tenn., Barnes was a starter in the offensive line during his four-year career with the Golden Eagles from 2004 to 2007. He graduated in December 2007 with a bachelor's degree in sociology, specializing in criminal justice. He is currently enrolled and working toward a second bachelor's degree, this time in business management.

Barnes was a team co-captain and three-year starter for coach Tim James at East Ridge High School. A standout on both sides of scrimmage, he helped his prep team to consecutive playoff appearances including the region title as a junior. He was also a three-year letterman on the track & field team, finishing as state runnerup in the shot put as a junior.

After his prep career, Brandon originally signed to attend East Tennessee State, but when the school's football program was eliminated he made a smooth transition to Tennessee Tech. He played all but one game as a redshirt freshman in 2004. He was a regular in the offensive line for the next three years, including starting 22 consecutive games over the final two years. With Barnes up front, Tech had seven different OVC Offensive Player of the Week winners during his career.

In 2007, Barnes became just the fourth offensive lineman to win Tech's Sonny Allen Leadership Award.

Chris Grimes learned an awful lot about playing defense during his four-year career on the field for the Golden Eagles. Last year he returned to his alma mater to teach the lessons he learned to the current Golden Eagle players, and in 2011 he is in his second season as a graduate assistant member of the Watson Brown's TTU coaching staff. A former cornerback known for his hustle and hard-hitting style of play, Grimes works with all phases of the Tech defense.

After a redshirt season in 2003, Chris became a fixture on the field for the Golden Eagles during the next four years, playing in 39 contests and starting 16 contests. He chalked up 158 total tackles including 101 unassisted tackles from his cornerback spot. He earned a reputation of being an extremely hard-hitting defender with a knack for getting to the ball and making punishing tackles. In addition to his stops, he also recovered seven fumbles during his career, caused two fumbles and broke up 16 passes. He had three career interceptions and finished with eight tackles-for-loss.

During his prep days, he was a two-way player for coach Don Thomas at LaVergne High School, starting at tailback and free safety. He rushed for 3,650 yards and finished his prep career with 231 tackles for the Wolverines.

He joined the Golden Eagle coaching staff as a graduate assistant coach in 2010 to pursue a master's degree. Prior to retturning to Tech, he recently served as an assistant coach at LaVergne High School under head coach Will Hester. In that position, he coached the defensive backs and special teams.

Chris first graduated from Tech in 2008 with a degree in multidisciplinary studies.

A record-setting passes during his career as a Golden Eagle, Lee Sweeney has embarked upon his collegiate coaching career, joining Watson Brown’s staff as a graduate assistant who will work with the Golden Eagle quarterbacks in the 2011 season.

It’s an appropriate assignment for the former OVC Freshman of the Year who set many of Tech’s passing records while calling Golden Eagle signals from 2006 to 2009.
   
Sweeney was a two-year starter at Friendship Christian School in Mt. Juliet where he passed for 5,173 yards in two seasons. As a senior, he led the state in passing, throwing for 2,819 yards and 30 touchdowns with just three interceptions on his way to being named a finalist for Tennessee’s Mr. Football. A versatile athlete with a strong arm, he also lettered three seasons as a starting pitcher on the baseball team.
   
Following his prep career, he was recruited to the University of Louisville where he spent the 2005 season on the sidelines as a Cardinal redshirt. He transfered to Tennessee Tech following the fall semester, and went through spring drills with the Golden Eagles, helping him to prepare for his collegiate debut in the 2006 season. That year he passed for 2,292 yards and ranked first in the OVC in total offense, earning second-team all-OVC honors and the conference’s Freshman of the Year award.
   
He wrapped up his Tech career ranked first in career passing yards (7,157) as well as first in career total offense (6,805). He tied for the school record with 13 games passing for 200 yards or more, including the school-best 437 yards in a thrilling come-from-behind victory at Southeast Missouri to close out the 2006 season under interim head coach Doug Malone.
   
He received his bachelor’s degree from Tech in December 2009 in Exercise Science, Physical Education and Wellness.

Tyler Wolf made a name for himself throughout the region as a standout two-way player at Cookeville High School, and followed that with a five-year career as a member of the University of Tennessee Volunteers. WIth a bachelor's and master's degree to his credit, the Cookeville native returns to his hometown to open a new chapter in the role of administrative assistant for Watson Brown and the Golden Eagles.

Wolf will provide support to the Golden Eagles in his first season on the staff. In his role as administrative assistant, Wolf will work in a variety of assignments to support the Tech coaching staff.

As a Cavalier under coach Jerry Joslin, Wolf was a four-year starter for Cookeville High School. He helped the team post an 11-2 record and reach the third round of the TSSAA playoffs in both 2004 as a junior and 2005 as a senior, winning the Region 3-5A title both years. Playing cornerback and runningback, Wolf was named the Region MVP and earned all-Mid-State and All-State honors as a senior. A regular visitor in opponent's end zones, he scored 30 touchdowns, rushing for more than 1,500 yards and returning punts for more than 500 yards. He also had 14 interceptions.

Following his 2006 graduation, he was an invited walk-on with the Vols under then-head coach Phil Fulmer, spending his first season as a redshirt for the Big Orange. He was on the squad for five seasons, including three under Fulmer, one year under Lane Kiffin, and one season for Derek Dooley, who moved Wolf from walk-on to scholarship status for the 2010 season. He started on all four of the Vols special teams (kickoff, kick return, punt, punt return) in 2009 and 2010, and was on the roster for bowl games in four of his five seasons - the 2006 and 2007 Outback Bowl, the 2009 Chick Fil-A Bowl, and the 2010 Music City Bowl.

Wolf was named to the Academic All-SEC team all four seasons he was active. He received his bachelor's degree from UT in 2010 and his master's in sports management in 2011.

Debbie Parker was hired in July, 2011, to fill the position of executive aide for the football program, taking over for Peggie Parrott who retired from her post after more than 25 rewarding years on the job. Parker made the move across campus to join the Golden Eagles after spending the past year as a secretary/receptionist in the College of Engineering.

A 2001 graduate of Tennessee Tech with a bachelor's degree in agriculture and environmental agriscience, Debbie's career took a different turn when she signed on as a legal assistant at a law firm in Cookeville in 2002 After a year in that position, she worked for five years as an environmental health specialist for the Tennessee Dept. of Health. She returned to the the legal profession in 2008 for another year at another Cookeville law offive, then worked oneyear as an administrative assistant for the U.S. Census Bureau.

In her new role on coach Watson Brown's staff, she will handle a wide variety of office responsibilities for the entire coaching staff including much of the paperwork involved in the recruiting process. She will also help to coordinate the annual Jim Ragland Golden Eagle Bass Classic, and the annual Golden Eagle Football Alumni Classic, an event to help build the Robert Hill Johnson Endowment for funding football scholarships.

Born in Battle Creek, Mich., Debbie's family moved to Monterey where she has lived since she was four years old. She has beeen married to her husband, Michael Parker, for 11 years. She has three children - daughter Emily (16), son Rylan (19), and one grown stepson, Anthony.

In her spare time, she works with the young women at her church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Cookeville.

Peggie Parrott began working as a secretary in the Tennessee Tech football office in 1983, and has become a fixture in the program -- and friend to dozens of coaches and hundreds of players -- through more than 25 years in that role. After two years in a part-time role, she was elevated to full-time in 1985, and has served for head coaches Gary Darnell, Jim Ragland, Mike Hennigan, Doug Malone and Watson Brown.

She reitremed from the full-time position in July, but has remained with the team in a part-time capacity while helping to train the program's new secretary, Debbie Parker.

In addition to the work that has kept her busy in football, she also helps out wherever needed within the Athletics Department, including the Bobby Nichols Scramble, home football and home basketball games.

In addition to her wide variety of office responsibilities, she helps to coordinate the annual Jim Ragland Golden Eagle Bass Classic, a role she has filled all 23 years of the event. She works at coordinating the annual Golden Eagle Football Alumni Classic, an event to help build the Robert Hill Johnson Endowment for funding football scholarships.

A native of Crossville, Tenn., and the daughter of original homesteaders in the Homestead area, she is a 1963 graduate of Cumberland County High School and attended Tech for one year.

In her spare time during the summer, Peggie has worked for more than 40 years with Camp Nakanawa, a private girl’s camp in Crossville that attracts campers from the U.S., Mexico, South America and Italy. She coordinated the arrival and departure of the campers at the Nashville International Airport. A member of Stevens Street Baptist Church, she teaches a women’s Sunday school class and is very involved in mission work through the church.

Peggie has two grown daughters, Rhonda and Aimee, and two grandsons, Cameron (12) and Aiden (8).