Vols’ head coach Marty Bradley to serve as Tennessee’s director of rugby.
Tennessee announced Thursday head coach Marty Bradley will serve as UT’s director of rugby.
Tennessee is searching for Bradley’s replacement.
Bradley served as the Vols’ rugby head coach from 2011-22. He served as Tennessee’s assistant from 1996-2010 under Butch Robertson.
Bradley guided the Vols to a national championship in 2021. Tennessee (11-0) outscored its opponents, 373-127, and recorded three shutouts during the 2021 national championship season.
Tennessee’s last loss to a college team in 15s competition was against Western Michigan, 38-22, in the national tournament on Nov. 23, 2019.
Bradley discussed his move from head coach to director of rugby with Vols Wire. He mentioned Tennessee’s program can continue to grow with him as director of rugby.
“I’m not drifting away or anything,” Bradley said. “This program has grown to the point to where it needs the attention of someone that can give it a little more than I am able.
“We are really adding instead of replacing because I am still going to be involved with most things I am today, but the person that is going to lead training and lead us on the sideline is going to be different. There is so much we could do that we are not doing.”
A look at the history between Tennessee’s football and rugby teams.
The University of Tennessee has fielded a rugby team since 1970. The Vols compete in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference.
Tennessee’s first official rugby match took place Oct. 31, 1970 in Huntsville, Alabama against the Redstone Rugby Club, winning 8-6. UT finished its inaugural 1970-71 season with a 13-3-3 record.
Over the years, Tennessee’s football program has worked with its rugby team in providing an audience in helping fill roster spots.
“Under Butch Jones (2013-17) we were always welcomed to walk-on tryouts and had an opportunity to address the 50-60 guys after the session to tell them about rugby,” Tennessee rugby head coach Marty Bradley told Vols Wire. “We would get three or four guys to give rugby a try each year.”
Under Jeremy Pruitt (2018-20), Bradley mentioned walk-on’s were handled one-on-one with the former head coach, preventing the rugby program of having a platform in recruiting to the team.
Since Josh Heupel has been hired as Tennessee’s head coach, the rugby and football programs have not worked together during the early stages of his tenure.
Matthew Salansky, Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Redshirt sophomore Matthew Salansky has served as Tennessee’s long snapper since the start of the 2020 season. He redshirted in 2019.
Salansky’s dad played rugby at Tennessee Tech and was teammates with Bradley.
“Matthew came out to watch a bit of practice last year because he was going to give rugby a go, but then he became the long snapper,” Bradley said.
Tennessee rugby head coach Marty Bradley. 2021 University of Tennessee rugby reserves team. The 2021 Tennessee reserves rugby team played Western Carolina on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at the Tennessee Rugby Park in Knoxville, Tennessee. Photo of the Tennessee-Western Carolina match is by Dan Harralson of Vols Wire.
Greg Amsler played running back for the Vols between 1987-90.
Bradley mentioned Amsler is the most notable football player to also play rugby at Tennessee.
“I guess the most notable player to play rugby was Greg Amsler,” Bradley said. “He played while preparing for an attempt at the NFL.”
Most recently, wide receiver Brett Parisi (2012-13) and tight end Dakota Summers (2010-13) played football and rugby at Tennessee.
“When my senior season ended, I joined the team to play 15s in the spring,” Summers told Vols Wire about playing rugby and football at Tennessee. “I’m so thankful I did. Rugby is an incredible sport and UT has a great program with great player and coaches. I don’t think I’d say one is more physical than the other, it is just a different kind of physicality. There is a big difference in making a tackle with a helmet and shoulder pads on versus a t-shirt and shorts.”
Summers started out playing as an inside center for Tennessee’s rugby team. He played a few games there and then moved to left lock.
“I enjoyed both positions, but being in the scrum on the second row was so much fun,” he said.
Summers also discussed playing tight end in football, in comparison to his rugby positions he played with the Vols.
“You could say inside center is comparable because it’s a big body guy who is more out in space,” he said. “As for lock in comparison, an even bigger body, who is more of a blocking tight end type of guy.”
2021 University of Tennessee rugby. The 2021 Tennessee rugby team played Clemson on Saturday, October 16, 2021, at the Tennessee Rugby Park in Knoxville, Tennessee. Photo of the Tennessee-Clemson match is by Dan Harralson of Vols Wire.
Jonathan Kongbo played defensive end and linebacker for the Vols from 2016-18. Kongbo played rugby growing up before becoming a highly-touted recruit in football.
“He was a heck of a high school rugby player in Canada, but I could not get him out for obvious reasons,” Bradley said of Kongbo playing rugby at Tennessee. “He was a U19 player in Canada and could probably give it a go for their national team if he ever picked it back up.”
Jonathan Kongbo, Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Heupel played for Mike Leach at Oklahoma.
Leach served as the Sooners’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 1999 and recruited Heupel as his starting signal-caller.
Leach did not play football in college. He played rugby at BYU.
Leach joined the show “Football Two-A-Days” and discussed his time playing rugby and the similarities between the two sports.
“There’s some similarities, allegedly football was taken from rugby kind of, but it is different,” Leach said. “I was coming off of an ankle injury. I had a broken ankle my senior year in high school. As I was coming off of that, running to bring that back, I started playing rugby. I had it for a P.E. class, then they recruited me to be on the team after that. I was pretty fast back then, so it was a great deal for me. We went all over the country playing rugby, to Canada, all over the place. BYU was a really good team.
“I really enjoyed my time playing rugby. Football is very much a game for specialists. Rugby is kind of a game for a guy that can do a little bit of everything because everybody touches the ball. Everybody tackles, everybody passes, everybody kicks, all those things.”
The entire show with Leach can be listened to here or below.
Kucik is a 5-foot-11-inch, 160-pound fullback from Gonzaga College High School in Kensington, Maryland.
He will enter UT as a business analytics major.
The University of Tennessee rugby club was founded in 1970. The Volunteers compete in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference.
In addition to the Vols, the league features teams from Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, Middle Tennessee, Memphis, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee rugby club picked up a commitment from North Carolina.
Frank Lewis finalized his attention to play college rugby at Tennessee. He hails from Raleigh, North Carolina where he attended Needham B. Broughton High School and played his prep rugby for the Raleigh Redhawks rugby club.
The Tennessee rugby club was founded in 1970 and is currently coached by Marty Bradley.
The Vols compete in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference.
Other teams in the conference include Memphis, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and South Carolina.
KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee rugby club picked up a commitment and signing from a local athlete recently.
Tommy Codevilla, a senior at Knoxville’s West High School, played his club rugby for the Tennessee Rugby Academy.
Vols keep adding to the roster for the fall. This time its Tommy Codevilla of West High School and the Tennessee Rugby Academy. #GBO#VFL#FSRpic.twitter.com/DtQ4K43uzN
Codevilla, a 6-7, 230-pound hook, signed and committed in late-April and the club formally welcomed him on social media.
He will enter UT as a chemical engineering major.
The Tennessee Rugby Club, coached by Marty Bradley, was founded in 1970.
The Vols currently compete in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference.
Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, Kentucky, Memphis, Middle Tennessee State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Tennessee all compete in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference.
Kentucky, South Carolina and Alabama are Tennessee’s top rivals.
Schwartz, a mechanical engineering major, was also Tennessee’s Player of the Year.
The Vols’ rugby club, coached by Marty Bradley, was founded in 1970. Bradley serves not only as Tennessee’s head coach, but also as the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference commissioner.
Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, Kentucky, Memphis, Middle Tennessee State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Tennessee all compete in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference.
