Leading North of Difficulty
Having to lead teams/organizations/individuals through difficulty is not an IF.....it's a WHEN. Understanding the dangers of despair and the possibilities of Hope will help us navigate through those difficult times.
Heath Eslinger (pronounced ESS-leen-guhr) is in his ninth year as the head coach of the Mocs' wrestling program.Eslinger's impact over the last eight years has been tremendous. He guided the team to six SoCon Regular Season and five Tournament Championships. He is already No. 2 on the UTC career wins list with a 101-61 record, and is an amazing 53-5 in SoCon matches. He also guided the Mocs to impressive results academically. The Mocs have finished in the top-10 in the nation in team g.p.a. among wrestling programs three times and UTC topped a 3.0 as a team for the first time in the fall of 2016.
As an athlete Eslinger won four letters with the Mocs from 1995-2000. He posted a 120-18 all-time record, winning three Southern Conference titles and qualifying for the NCAA Championships three times. His 120 wins broke the school's all-time record and is still the second highest win total in UTC history.Respected by his teammates, Eslinger was tabbed as team captain all four years of his collegiate career. He was the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Year in 2000 and the SoCon Tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler that same season. His senior year he climbed as high as No. 6 in the nation.
In his spare time he has remained active competing in various Ironman events.Eslinger and his wife, Brandi, have three daughters, Brookelyn (12) and twins, Madelyn and Keelyn (11) and a son, Carson (6). He is very involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and won the organization's Jim Slater Leadership Award in 2008. In 2007, he earned the FCA's Gerry Stephens Influence Award. A noted speaker, Eslinger travels around the country speaking to teams, schools, and businesses about how they can operate "a better way".
