Bailey Fisher

• Article
• April 01, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – When Senior Day usually rolls around in football season, the skies are gray, the leaves are falling and the weather has turned cooler. Saturday, as the Tennessee Tech football team honors its 2020-21 senior class, it’s be the exact opposite – sunny, everything is blooming and spring weather in the air. The page on the calendar may be different, but make no mistake – it’s still football, and there’s still plenty to play for. With Tennessee State coming to town on Saturday, the Sergeant York Trophy is once again in play and the matchup stacks up as an intriguing one. The Easter weekend special kicks off at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Roger Ealey and Buddy Pearson will broadcast the game on 98.5 KISS FM, while Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks will provide the call on ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• March 27, 2021

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – As Tennessee Tech heads into its fifth contest of the 2020-21 spring football season, there’s still plenty to play for entering the final three games of the season. First, the Golden Eagles can secure a winning campaign by taking the last three games. Secondly, with victories over Tennessee State and UT Martin, Tech can claim the Sergeant York Trophy for the 2020-21 campaign. Third, the Golden Eagles can continue the progress it has shown over the course of the season. Tech continues the season on Sunday as the Golden Eagles take on Southeast Missouri on Sunday, starting at 2 p.m. Dylan Vazzano will provide the broadcast on 98.5 KISS FM, while the game will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• March 21, 2021

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois took its beating at the hands of the Tennessee Tech football team in 2019 personally. From the onset of the game, the Panthers put pressure on the Golden Eagles as EIU was ready to shed its winless label. The energy on their sideline, the chanting at the Tech players – they remembered. Oh, how they remembered. Before half of the opening quarter had worn away, Eastern Illinois was up by two scores. It then became a mission for the Golden Eagles to chip away. Tech did, climbing back within four points before halftime. But it wasn’t enough as EIU climbed back out by 18 in the third quarter.

• Article
• March 19, 2021

CHARLESTON, Ill. – As the first three weeks of spring football for the Ohio Valley Conference have progressed, Eastern Illinois keeps climbing closer, but the Panthers haven’t quite hit paydirt yet. EIU (0-3) saw Southeast Missouri hang 47 points on them in the season opener in Charleston, but in the last two weeks on the road, the Panthers have made huge strides, falling by a pair of touchdowns at UT Martin two weeks ago, then Tennessee State knocked off EIU on a last-second field goal for a 21-20 defeat. Now the Panthers will try their luck against the Golden Eagles as Tennessee Tech heads up north to take on Eastern Illinois on Sunday. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. Dylan Vazzano will provide the broadcast on 98.5 KISS FM, while Mike Bradd and Jack Ashmore will handle the broadcast duties on ESPN+ (subscription required). As the Golden Eagles (1-2) enter the program’s 984th contest and 13th at O’Brien Field, the trips to Charleston have not been kind to Tech. EIU is 9-4 against the Golden Eagles on its home turf, with only three of those wins coming in Ohio Valley play – 1999, 2011 and 2019. But, to be fair, Tech only has five wins over EIU in the OVC era for the Panthers, adding an overtime win in 2004 and a 2010 win at Tucker Stadium into the mix.

• Article
• March 14, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It came down to the wire on Sunday as Tennessee Tech and Murray State faced off at Tucker Stadium. While the Golden Eagles’ offense missed several notable pieces in the skill positions and in the trenches, the Tech attackers still put up impressive numbers, especially with Willie Miller and Kurt Taylor Jr. putting together breakout games. However, the Racers were able to capitalize on turnovers. Murray State picked off two passes for touchdowns and forced four turnovers. The final interception on a driving Golden Eagle team in position to win the game turned out to seal the deal though as the Racers took a 36-31 victory on Sunday afternoon.

• Article
• February 28, 2021

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Defensive players got the spotlight on Sunday as Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State combined for five turnovers in their final Ohio Valley Conference matchup from Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium. The Golden Eagles had five turnovers, the Gamecocks three as both teams were able to convert into 13 points. However, the JSU defense was able to stall the Golden Eagles on the scoreboard as well, taking a 24-10 victory. Tech falls to 1-1 in the spring OVC schedule and will have an open date next Sunday, scheduled for the OVC Basketball Tournament in Evansville, Ind. JSU (4-1, 1-0 OVC) will make up its postponed game at Tennessee State next Sunday.

• Article
• February 26, 2021

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The last time Tennessee Tech entered a football game ranked in one of the FCS Top 25 polls was November 26, 2011. The game was the Golden Eagles’ first trip to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs facing Central Arkansas. Ten years later, the Golden Eagles are ranked again, earning the No. 23 spot in the latest Stats Perform FCS Top 25. Another interesting thing happened in 2011 – Tech toppled Jacksonville State on the road 21-14, the Golden Eagles’ only victory on the road in the Ohio Valley Conference series between the two teams since the Gamecocks joined the league in 2003. It was just days over 10 years since Tech had last won in Jacksonville when Grant Swallows helped lead the Golden Eagles to a 35-27 victory in 2001. 2001. 2011. 2021? Could it be fate? Coincidence? Who knows?

• Article
• February 21, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Sunday was certainly worth the wait for the Tennessee Tech football team. It had been nearly 15 months since the last time the Golden Eagles took to the field, and while it took a little time to get the offense going in the 2020-21 season opener against Austin Peay, Tech certainly finished with a flourish. Trailing 14-3 midway through the third quarter, the Golden Eagles rifled off 24 straight points, then held on in a wild finish, knocking off defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Austin Peay 27-21 at Tucker Stadium on Sunday.

• Article
• February 18, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It’s been a long wait for football season to arrive. Heck, the last game was in the previous decade. But on Sunday, football is back at Tucker Stadium, ending a nearly 15-month drought of gridiron action, as Tennessee Tech plays host to Austin Peay. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Roger Ealey will provide the radio call for 98.5 KISS FM, while Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks handle broadcast duties for ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• October 07, 2020

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the Tennessee Tech football team continued to prepare for the 2020-21 campaign, the Ohio Valley Conference took the next step in resuming the sport as it announced the spring 2021 schedule. In all, the Golden Eagles will host three OVC contests and hit the road for four more. Start times will be announced at a later date. As with all events during the COVID-19 pandemic, all dates and times are subject to change. Teams will play in accordance with local regulations, NCAA medical guidelines and supporting OVC standards. The schedule is set as a round-robin format with all eight teams that elected to play a spring schedule. Teams will have the opportunity to schedule a non-conference foe in the spring.

• Article
• September 14, 2020

SPARTA, Tenn. – To Bill Johnson, he bled Purple and Gold as much as he bled Orange and White. While he never suited up for the Tennessee Tech football team, he had been one of the Golden Eagles’ biggest supporters. As he passed away on Sunday at the age of 84, Johnson leaves behind a tremendous legacy with Tech, from the Robert Hill Johnson Award and the endowment named after his brother, to three grandchildren –Thomas, Robert Hill and John Bronson – all suiting up for the Golden Eagles and much, much more. “To express what Bill Johnson and his family has meant to Tennessee Tech football and the entire athletics family could fill volumes,” said Tech Director of Athletics Mark Wilson. “For nearly 70 years – almost three-fourths of the program’s entire history – his support of our football team has known no bounds. “His brother was – and continues to be – a tremendous inspiration to our student-athletes who don our colors. Bill continued those efforts and created opportunities for future student-athletes to join our program to follow in those footsteps.” Wilson continued, “What Johnson has done for our program over these many years is amazing. He’s been a major friend to Tennessee Tech and will be missed greatly.”

• Article
• September 01, 2020

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As we enter what was originally scheduled to be the first week of Tennessee Tech’s 2020 football slate, it’s a different landscape. Instead of preparing for the week’s opponent, it’s preparing for the spring, hopeful to get the season underway even if it is a few months later than normal. With the calendar switching into these cool autumn months that would have been filled with the pageantry of college football and the 99th season for the Golden Eagles, it gives time to reflect back through the years. Tech’s first scheduled opponent of the 2020 season was Samford. A brief member of the Ohio Valley Conference from 2003 to 2007, the Golden Eagles have battled the Bulldogs to a near-even series, 11-12 in favor of Samford.

• Article
• July 24, 2020

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the prep work continues towards the 2020 football season, more outlets are releasing their preseason teams. On Friday, it was Phil Steele’s preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference list and Tennessee Tech came away with 12 selections on the three-team roster. Senior defensive lineman Chris Tucker and sophomore kick return specialist Metrius Fleming were first-team selections, while junior quarterback Bailey Fisher, senior offensive lineman Mike Rhoades, senior defensive lineman Henry Karimu and junior outside linebacker Tai Carter were on the second team. Fleming made a repeat performance on the third-team roster at wide receiver, joined by senior tight end Tavin Kilpatrick, senior defensive line Jale’n Gladney, junior linebacker Seth Carlisle, sophomore defensive back Cameron Hudson and senior punter Luke Maynard.

• Article
• July 20, 2020

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – After one of the best seasons in recent program history and putting together the second-best turnaround in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, it isn’t surprising to see a few Tennessee Tech players on the Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference team as the league released its 2020 preseason squad on Monday morning. The Golden Eagles garnered five preseason picks: junior quarterback Bailey Fisher and senior offensive lineman Mike Rhoades on offense, senior defensive end Chris Tucker and junior outside linebacker Tai Carter on defense and sophomore receiver/kick return specialist Metrius Fleming on special teams. The OVC preseason polls – both the media and coach/SID projections – will be announced at a later date.