Josh Reliford

• Article
• April 15, 2021

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – With the 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference football season drawing to a close, the league announced its postseason award winners on Thursday. Tennessee Tech came away with four awards as senior defensive end Chris Tucker made his second consecutive appearance on the All-OVC first-team roster, senior offensive guard Mike Rhoades made a back-to-back appearance on the second-team squad, redshirt junior safety Josh Reliford made his first all-OVC appearance on the second team, and freshman cornerback Jyron Gilmore was selected to the conference’s All-Newcomer team. The awards were voted on by the conference’s head football coaches and sports information contacts.

• Article
• April 11, 2021

MARTIN, Tenn. -- With the spring season in the books, it?s almost like summer vacation for the Tennessee Tech football team. With just a couple of months to rest, relax and recuperate, the Golden Eagles will be right back at it in just a couple short months. While Sunday's game wasn?t the result the Golden Eagles wanted to end the 2020-21 campaign with, a 40-7 loss to UT Martin, there?s still certainly plenty to hang their hats on as they prepare for the next season. First, the Golden Eagles do possess the Sergeant York Trophy, winning the round-robin between the Ohio Valley Conference?s Tennessee members. Tech tied UTM with a 2-1 mark in the series this season, but claim the league?s tiebreaker as the team that has gone the longest without possessing the bronze bust of the World War I hero from Pall Mall.

• Article
• April 09, 2021

MARTIN, Tenn. – It’s almost surprising how quickly the eight weeks for the 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference football season have passed by. From ice and snow on the Tucker Stadium turf on the first week to spring weather on the final week, it’s been an interesting ride. Even as soon as this spring slate wraps up, it won’t be long before the Tennessee Tech football team gets back out on the field and gets ready for the next season. But before it gets to that point, the Golden Eagles have one last order of business before a well-deserved break – beat UT Martin.

• Article
• April 03, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech head coach Dewayne Alexander's had quite a few big wins in his career. His 50th however may mean a lot more to him. As the Golden Eagles recognized their seven 2020-21 seniors before Saturday's game against Tennessee State, Tech built on that momentum, surging to a 14-0 lead and never looking back as the Golden Eagles topped the visiting Tigers 24-10. "Our guys have fought hard this season, they've been resilient," Alexander said. "We knew if we could pull together four quarters and play Golden Eagle football, we can certainly play with anybody. We've shown that. We had some tough games this season and I'm really proud of the way our team has responded."

• Article
• April 01, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – When Senior Day usually rolls around in football season, the skies are gray, the leaves are falling and the weather has turned cooler. Saturday, as the Tennessee Tech football team honors its 2020-21 senior class, it’s be the exact opposite – sunny, everything is blooming and spring weather in the air. The page on the calendar may be different, but make no mistake – it’s still football, and there’s still plenty to play for. With Tennessee State coming to town on Saturday, the Sergeant York Trophy is once again in play and the matchup stacks up as an intriguing one. The Easter weekend special kicks off at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Roger Ealey and Buddy Pearson will broadcast the game on 98.5 KISS FM, while Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks will provide the call on ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• March 19, 2021

CHARLESTON, Ill. – As the first three weeks of spring football for the Ohio Valley Conference have progressed, Eastern Illinois keeps climbing closer, but the Panthers haven’t quite hit paydirt yet. EIU (0-3) saw Southeast Missouri hang 47 points on them in the season opener in Charleston, but in the last two weeks on the road, the Panthers have made huge strides, falling by a pair of touchdowns at UT Martin two weeks ago, then Tennessee State knocked off EIU on a last-second field goal for a 21-20 defeat. Now the Panthers will try their luck against the Golden Eagles as Tennessee Tech heads up north to take on Eastern Illinois on Sunday. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. Dylan Vazzano will provide the broadcast on 98.5 KISS FM, while Mike Bradd and Jack Ashmore will handle the broadcast duties on ESPN+ (subscription required). As the Golden Eagles (1-2) enter the program’s 984th contest and 13th at O’Brien Field, the trips to Charleston have not been kind to Tech. EIU is 9-4 against the Golden Eagles on its home turf, with only three of those wins coming in Ohio Valley play – 1999, 2011 and 2019. But, to be fair, Tech only has five wins over EIU in the OVC era for the Panthers, adding an overtime win in 2004 and a 2010 win at Tucker Stadium into the mix.

• Article
• March 14, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It came down to the wire on Sunday as Tennessee Tech and Murray State faced off at Tucker Stadium. While the Golden Eagles’ offense missed several notable pieces in the skill positions and in the trenches, the Tech attackers still put up impressive numbers, especially with Willie Miller and Kurt Taylor Jr. putting together breakout games. However, the Racers were able to capitalize on turnovers. Murray State picked off two passes for touchdowns and forced four turnovers. The final interception on a driving Golden Eagle team in position to win the game turned out to seal the deal though as the Racers took a 36-31 victory on Sunday afternoon.

• Article
• March 12, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Dean Hood era at Murray State is off to a strong start. There’s no question about his ability to win in the Ohio Valley Conference – after all, he had plenty of success as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky. Now as the head jockey in the stable, Hood has the Racers storming out of the gate, picking up victories over UT Martin and Southeast Missouri to open the spring football slate. On Sunday, their focus is on Tennessee Tech.

• Article
• February 26, 2021

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The last time Tennessee Tech entered a football game ranked in one of the FCS Top 25 polls was November 26, 2011. The game was the Golden Eagles’ first trip to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs facing Central Arkansas. Ten years later, the Golden Eagles are ranked again, earning the No. 23 spot in the latest Stats Perform FCS Top 25. Another interesting thing happened in 2011 – Tech toppled Jacksonville State on the road 21-14, the Golden Eagles’ only victory on the road in the Ohio Valley Conference series between the two teams since the Gamecocks joined the league in 2003. It was just days over 10 years since Tech had last won in Jacksonville when Grant Swallows helped lead the Golden Eagles to a 35-27 victory in 2001. 2001. 2011. 2021? Could it be fate? Coincidence? Who knows?

• Article
• February 21, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Sunday was certainly worth the wait for the Tennessee Tech football team. It had been nearly 15 months since the last time the Golden Eagles took to the field, and while it took a little time to get the offense going in the 2020-21 season opener against Austin Peay, Tech certainly finished with a flourish. Trailing 14-3 midway through the third quarter, the Golden Eagles rifled off 24 straight points, then held on in a wild finish, knocking off defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Austin Peay 27-21 at Tucker Stadium on Sunday.

• Article
• February 18, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It’s been a long wait for football season to arrive. Heck, the last game was in the previous decade. But on Sunday, football is back at Tucker Stadium, ending a nearly 15-month drought of gridiron action, as Tennessee Tech plays host to Austin Peay. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Roger Ealey will provide the radio call for 98.5 KISS FM, while Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks handle broadcast duties for ESPN+ (subscription required).