Chattanooga staff update

The Chattanooga Mocs men’s basketball program is promoting two staffers, pending University approval, coach Will Wade announced Tuesday. Brooks Savage and Alex Wharton are moving into new roles in the wake of assistant coach Turner Battle leaving to take a similar position at UAB.

Savage takes Battle’s place as a full-time assistant after one year as Director of Basketball Operations. Wharton moves up to the Ops role after joining the program earlier this year as video coordinator.

“Brooks was a full-time assistant before coming here a year ago,” Wade said. “He has the energy and enthusiasm for our student-athletes and program that you want in an assistant. We are excited about his ability to hit the ground running with our team and in recruiting.

“Alex is a great fit as well,” Wade continued. “He came in one role, but like Brooks is very well-equipped for the new one he is moving into. Alex is very diligent, organized and takes great care in putting our players first. Those are tremendous assets for the operations position.

“I am very excited about both of them moving into these positions,” Wade concluded. “They understand what we are trying to accomplish and more importantly, they are invested in making it happen in competition, in the classroom and in the community.”

Savage came to the Scenic City after serving as assistant coach at Presbyterian for the 2012-13 season. He was an assistant at Northwest Florida State College in 2011-12, helping the Raiders to a 32-2 record and NJCAA national runner-up finish. Savage served as video coordinator at Tulane (2010-11) and graduate assistant at his alma mater, Tennessee, for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Wharton joined the Mocs in May as video coordinator. He came from Houston where he aided in internal operations with the basketball program last season. He was a graduate assistant at Angelo State for two seasons (2012-13) and assisted at Lone Star Community College in Houston the prior two years while finishing his degree at Houston. He played at Grayson College, a two-year program in his home state of Texas.

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