by Zack Kirby

The Chattanooga Mocs wrestling team concluded its 2014-15 campaign with a 45^th place finish at the NCAA Championships in March. Under sixth-year head coach Heath Eslinger, the Mocs posted a 13-6 overall record, along with an undefeated 7-0 mark in the Southern Conference.

UTC won the SoCon regular-season title for the 15^th time, and won the SoCon Tournament for the 29^th time. In his six years, Eslinger has guided the program to five SoCon tournament and regular-season titles, and a 29-1 conference record.

A big part of the program's success was the senior class that included Michigan transfer Sean Boyle. He was named SoCon Wrestler of the Year with a 32-7 overall record in the 125-pound weight class and earned the No.5 seed in the NCAA Championships.

Other wrestlers who earned NCAA bids were seniors Nick Soto at 133 (No.15 seed) and Shawn Greevy at 149, and sophomores Michael Pongracz at 141, Sean Mappes at 174, Scottie Boykin at 197 and Jared Johnson at 285.

Throughout the summer months, GoMocs.com will sit down all 12 head coaches to see how things are going in each program.  In this Q&A, Eslinger shares his thoughts on the season, as well as what his team can build upon for 2015-16.   

After concluding the 2014-15 season, what are some main takeaways that stood out to you?
"We learned that as a team, we can never let ourselves get down. We were faced with some adversity and a lot of times, organizations would have let that move them south.  We found a way to point this team north and that is a complement to our athletes and our coaching staff.

I think we continue to see that we can compete with the best teams in the country. The win over Oklahoma was big, and we want to do that on a more consistent basis. I think it really motivated me to try to be the best mid-major team in Division I wrestling. I think we're close, and I think we can get there.

We lost some close matches to some really good teams.  All year we saw what we were capable of, even if we came up a little bit short. But again, I don't think we hung our head.  We kept pressing on and saw some improvement towards the end of the year.

I think there were several matches that were close, because we saw the light at the end of the tunnel. We never let that get us down, and that is something that I was proud of."

The Mocs scored a signature win over Oklahoma 19-16 on Feb. 15 in Maclellan Gym.

What is the biggest improvement you saw in your team from the beginning of the season to the end?
"I really think we had some individuals step up and play. We had Jared Johnson at heavyweight and Austin Sams at 157 kept making improvements. I think the biggest improvements that we preach is that no high is too high and no low is too low.

We are going to do the right things every day and let great things happen. I don't know if we had a single improvement, but it was a manifestation of what we talk about all the time."

What's the main thing you're looking forward to this upcoming season?
"I think we really have some tough kids coming in that have the talent to do some big things. We lost some good guys and people might think we're down a little, but I love that.

I don't believe in down years and there's no rebuilding, because every year we're going to try and put good teams out there. It's going to be interesting to see how many guys shake out of our lineup, and I'm excited about that."

Do you see anyone on your returning roster that possesses the same qualities as last season's senior class?
"The thing that our seniors had was consistency. From day one, Soto and Boyle were consistent for us. Levi Clemons was very consistent last year and Shawn Greevy was too. That is the main thing we look for and doing those things over time will lead to good results.

Some guys were able to see that and I think we have a lot of other guys coming back that can do the same things. That is why it is not a rebuilding year because we can just get back on the horse with a new guy and go to war.

We've had a really consistent spring and we've seen improvement heading into the summer.  I think we'll see that go into full effect come winter."

RETURNING STARTERS

With a recruiting class that has 18 high-school state championships combined, along with multiple All-Americans, what impact do you think they can make this upcoming season?
"We've got some guys that can compete, and they are going to have to show that they can be consistent day in and day out. We're going to have to have guys make an immediate impact and there's no time to grow up, because they're college wrestlers now. The summer will prove to be a critical training ground for the guys that will help us next year."

During this offseason, what are some of the things that you are building on for next year?
"It is different things for each guy. Some guys have to get a little bit more consistent, while some guys need to get tougher.

The summer is great because there's a lot of other stress reduced in terms of school and competition. I think the greatest growth for us is right now.  The sun is not beating down on us and we can water the plant and let it grow. We just want them to continue to love training and have a vision in order to make great things happen."

Who do you think could emerge as possible leaders next year?
"Austin Sams has really done a great job of taking ownership. John Schrader and Scottie Boykin have also done a great job.  I think we have a great group of guys. I think we all lead each other.

Every kid has his own struggles and strengths, and if we use that together, we can complement it together. That is the sign of a great team.  I think we're really starting see that this summer, and hopefully we can reap the reward of all of that heading into the winter."

Austin Sams is one of three seniors on the roster for 2015-16.

What is your favorite thing about being a head coach?
"One, I think the greatest complement of anyone is that someone would want to do what they're doing because of the impact you had on them. Obviously, seeing kids that want to get into coaching is very gratifying for me.

Also seeing how well-rounded our guys are who graduated is also very satisfying to me.  We're not producing wrestlers, we're producing people. It's evident academically, socially, athletically.  I think we're seeing very mature people leave our program. It's fun to watch and that's why I got in this business."