Coaching friendship will take a backseat in the annual “Rail Rivalry”

Johnson City, TN — On the college football field, the ETSU Buccaneers will have a little extra pep in their step when they travel to Chattanooga this weekend to face the Mocs in the annual “rail rivalry”.

Especially their head coach, Will Healy, who’s a Chattanooga native …. and has a long list of ticket requests from friends and family in the area. Healy also coached at Chattanooga as an assistant alongside the Mocs’ current head coach Rusty Wright..
The two have remained very good friends and speak to each other regularly, but when the game is underway, Wright says the friendship is put on the back burner until it’s over.

“I’ve coached against a lot of people, like, consider good friends. Yeah. I mean, really, for a long time, you know, the guy worked for Georgia State coach at Apple. At one time, we were in the league. You know? So, I’ve known him since we were in high school, so. Yeah, I mean, I’ve done that over the years. It’s happened. And, you know, once you start playing, it’s it’s a ball game and you go, and then after the game’s over, some folks can handle it certain ways and some folks can’t. I’m the same person. I’m the same person before the game and after the game, not during the game. I’m not the same guy, but before and after. I’m the same guy. Doesn’t matter what happens to me, says Wright.”

Kickoff Saturday will be at 1:30 in Chattanooga.

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