Rick Nyman

Sports Director

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Rick Nyman grew up in Anniston, Alabama and attended the University of Alabama. His television career started at WJSU-TV in Anniston where he had the opportunity to cover SEC football with Alabama and Auburn. Anniston is just 20 minutes from the Talladega Speedway, so NASCAR was a big part of his sports coverage. Due to this he was able to interview Davey Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and several other top-name NASCAR drivers.

Rick’s next television job was in Savannah, Georgia, where he covered basketball player Kwame Brown (now with the Washington Wizards), who later became the first ever high school player selected as the top pick in the NBA draft. He covered the PGA Tour’s annual swing thru Hilton Head and also had the opportunity of covering the Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl appearance in 1999 in Miami.

Rick especially enjoys all the atmosphere, tradition and drama of college football. He also likes profiling sports personalities and learning what drives them both on and off the field. If he’s not covering sports, he’s either watching Seinfield or David Letterman, playing golf, reading, or working out. What he enjoys about Chattanooga is the passion people have for sports. The mountainous region of Chattanooga reminds him of his hometown of Anniston, which also has big, beautiful trees and plenty of hills.

You can contact Rick at rnyman@wdef.com.

Articles

Vols-Vandy Game Tuesday Postponed Due to COVID

(utsports.com) The Tennessee at Vanderbilt men's basketball game scheduled for today (Tuesday, Jan. 12) has been postponed due to a combination of positive tests, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the Vanderbilt basketball program, consistent with Southeastern Conference…

Lee Women Blitz West Georgia 74-57

(leeuflames.com) Showing no signs of not playing since Dec. 19 and having the full team only available for one day of practice this week, the Lee women jumped out to a 23-14 margin at the end of the first quarter…

UTC Women Gear Up For the Always Wild SoCon Season

The UTC women's basketball team tips off conference play tomorrow afternoon. Chattanooga entertains ETSU. It'll be the Mocs first game in nearly two weeks. Head coach Katie Burrows says the extra off time has given the Mocs a chance to…

Titans Prepare For the Most Elusive QB in the NFL

The Tennessee Titans get the Baltimore Ravens in the wildcard round of the playoffs on Sunday, and they get perhaps the biggest wildcard at quarterback in the NFL. Baltimore's Lamar Jackson. The speedy QB finished in the top ten in…

Chattanooga Softball Icon Jim Frost Dies

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) Chattanooga softball icon Jim Frost died Thursday morning after battling COVID-19. Frost is most known for building the Chattanooga Mocs home softball stadium, which is named in his honor. Frost also spearheaded team sponsorships and created one of Chattanooga's…

Vols Hold on to Beat Arkansas 79-74

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Josiah-Jordan James and Victor Bailey scored 17 points apiece and Tennessee hit eight free throws in the final minute as the No. 9 Volunteers pulled out a 79-74 victory over Arkansas. John Fulkerson scored 12 of…

Georgia Names Josh Brooks New Athletic Director

(press release) Athens, Ga. – Josh Brooks has been named J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics at the University of Georgia.  Brooks will become UGA’s 12th athletic director, following the retirement of Greg McGarity, who held the position for 10…

Bryce Thompson and Ty Chandler Leaving Rocky Top

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee cornerback Bryce Thompson has declared early for the NFL draft, saying he feels ready for the challenge as he tries to fulfill his lifelong dream. Thompson announced his decision Tuesday in a social media post.…

NCAA Moving All of March Madness to Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The NCAA has announced that this year’s 67 men’s basketball tournament games including the Final Four all will be played in Indiana. Games will be played on two courts inside Lucas Oil Stadium with only game at…

Mocs Malachi Smith Named December SoCon Athlete of the Month

(gomocs.com) SPARTANBURG, S.C.---There is no debating the impactful career start for sophomore Malachi Smith. The transfer from Wright State took the 2020 portion of the schedule by storm earning the Southern Conference’s December Player of the Month honors. Smith averaged…

Vols OL Cade Mays Not Turning Pro

Vols junior offensive lineman Cade Mays announced Thursday that he will return for his senior year on Rocky Top rather than make himself eligible for the NFL Draft. The 6'6, 320-pound Mays started his college career at Georgia before transferring…

Peach Bowl Coaches Favor Expanding CFB Playoffs

There was talk of maybe expanding the college football playoffs to eight teams this season because of COVID. Didn't happen. If it had, maybe Georgia and Cincinnati might have squeezed in. The two clubs settled instead for a New Year's…

Vols Breeze Past Mizzou in Winning SEC Opener 73-53

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Santiago Vescovi scored 15 points and Yves Pons and Jaden Springer added 13 apiece as No. 7 Tennessee routed No. 12 Missouri 73-53 in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. The Volunteers shot 50% from…

Mocs Enter SoCon Play With Historic 9-0 Record

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) Playing college basketball during a global pandemic is historic enough, then the Chattanooga Mocs took it to another historic level. They got off to a 9-0 start, which is the best in school history. UTC will try to keep…

Lady Vols First Two SEC Games Postponed After Positive COVID Test

(utsports.com) KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee women's basketball program has paused all team activities following one positive COVID-19 test result and subsequent contact tracing among its Tier 1 personnel, which consists of coaches, student-athletes, team managers and support staff. All of…