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2 LEGENDS OF TN WRESTLING PASS AWAY


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Farr, John Paalzow

Longtime Teacher, Professor, And Wrestling Coach

Saturday, January 19, 2019
John Paalzow Farr
John Paalzow Farr

John Paalzow Farr, 84, of Red Bank, passed away on Friday, January 18, 2019.

John was born in Chattanooga to the late George Harris and Betty Paalzow Farr.  He attended Rita Wert Elementary School, graduated from The Baylor School and earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Chattanooga.  He got his Masters at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a Doctorate Degree at Middle Tennessee State University.  John served our country for over 30 years in the Army and retired as a Lt. Colonel.  John taught in the public schools at Red Bank High School where he started the wrestling program, Chattanooga Central, and Sale Creek. Farr coached Red Bank to a then record three straight state wrestling championships.  Coach Farr started the wrestling program at Chattanooga State, directed state tournaments, officiated NCAA Division I tournaments and served on the High School National Federation Wrestling Rules Committee and advisory boards.  He retired from Chattanooga State Community College as head of the humanity department. John was a member of three halls of fame: Greater Chattanooga Area Sports Hall of Fame, TSSAA and the Tennessee Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.  He was president of the Greater Chattanooga Area Sports Hall of Fame, member of Incline Investors Club, Chattanooga Area Historical Association, North River Kiwanis Club and Red Bank Historical Association.

John is survived by his wife of 48 years, Delores J. Farr; children, John (Peggy) Farr, Jr. and Ginger (Ed) Krubka; grandchildren, John III, Amber and Kendall; great-granddaughter, Madelyn. 

The family will receive friends from 4-8 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 21, and 12:30-2:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home. 

A Celebration of Life service for John will follow at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home with Dr. Steve Highlander and John T. Smithson, III officiating.  Burial will be in Chattanooga Memorial Park.

Contributions may be made in John’s name to the Wrestling Coaches Scholarship Fund. 

Arrangements are by the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson, Tn. 37343.  

Please share your thoughts and memories atwww.chattanooganorthchapel.com.

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Jim Morgan
 
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Wrestling | 1/19/2019 8:33:00 PM |

Mocs Mourn the Passing of Jim Morgan

Former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga coach, professor and athletic administrator Jim Morgan passed away on Friday.  Morgan guided the Mocs' wrestling program for 16 seasons, from 1969 to 1983. 

Morgan was a legendary figure at UTC, primarily known for establishing the Mocs wrestling team into a championship program.  He guided Chattanooga from 1969 to 1984, posting a career record of 209-70-3. 

"I was fortunate enough to meet Coach Morgan and even though I have not been here long, I fully understand the impact he had on Chattanooga Wrestling," stated first-year head coach Kyle Ruschell.  "He was a legend in the wrestling community and set the foundation for our program that still feels his impact 34 years after he coached his last match at UTC."
   21719 The 1975 Mocs with head coach Jim Morgan and All-Americans
Randy Batten, John Kavelage, David Weeks and Turner Jackson.

The 1992 inductee into the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame, Morgan's career win total and winning percentage (.746) are still tops in the school record books.   He was the 1975 NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year when he led the Mocs to a third-place finish at the NCAA Tournament.  The Mocs were runners up the following season and finished ninth in 1977 before making the jump to the Southern Conference and NCAA Division I.

"Jim Morgan, in his decades of coaching, has positively affected thousands of wrestlers, wrestling coaches and the great sport of wrestling" stated UTC's Director of Athletic Performance Ethan Reeve.  Reeve succeeded Morgan as coach of the Mocs from 1985-90. 

"Coach Morgan is the winningest wrestling coach in UTC history and is an icon and a legend. He will forever be remembered for his selfless service to others and kind heart!"

Morgan guided UTC to the conference crown its first six years as members of the SoCon, winning Coach of the Year honors in 1978, 1981 and 1983.  He coached three individuals to NCAA Division II titles, including Randy Batten (1975-77), Turner Jackson (1975-76) and David Weeks (1976).  Batten was the NCAA Most Outstanding Wrestler in 1975. 

There were four additional NCAA Division II All-Americans in Morgan's tenure, including Bill Burnside (1974), John Kavelage (1975-76), Tim Brennan (1976) and Ralph Zigner (1976).

Morgan's 1983 team finished 14th at the NCAA Championships, the highest for the wrestling program in Division I competition.  Byron McGlathery (1980) and Charlie Heard (1982-84) earned NCAA Division I All-American honors under his tutelage.

After leaving the mat at UTC, he served as an Assistant Athletics Director before taking over the Baylor School wrestling program in 1986.  His teams won nine state traditional championships, six state duals championships before he retired in 2010. 

Morgan was a two-time graduate of the University of Chattanooga, earning both undergraduate and graduate degrees.  As a student at UC, he was a member of the wrestling team and won the Dayle May Award his senior year.

21716

Funeral arrangements for Coach Morgan are handled by Lane Funeral Home (601 Ashland Terrace) in Chattanooga.
 
The wrestling community also lost John Farr on Friday.  Farr was a member of the Chattanooga wrestling program and a 1956 graduate of the University of Chattanooga. 

Farr was a pioneer in local wrestling, starting programs at a number of local school and winning state titles at Red Bank High School.  He directed to the state tournament and was an NCAA Division I official. 

Visitation for Coach Farr is 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday and 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home.  A Celebration of Life service is 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home.
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