Teddy Gaines ran his way out of Kingsport, to the pinnacle of college football at Tennessee, all the way to the NFL. Now the defensive coordinator at Tusculum, which faces ETSU this Saturday at William B. Greene Stadium, Gaines laughed when asked if he still had his sprinter’s speed.
“Not as fast as I used to be. Unfortunately,” he said during a telephone interview with I-81 Sports on Monday. “I still get out here and run a few wind sprints with the guys. Let them know I can still hang a little bit. These guys keep me young.
“Speed I would say was the name of my game,” he added. “Obviously I’m not the biggest guy. But I could run. I’d get in there and compete and scrap and try my best. I was blessed and be able to run a little bit.”
That’s understating things. In high school at Dobyns-Bennett, Gaines, a Kingsport native, ran the 100 meters in 10.3 seconds in 1998. That’s a school record that still stands. Gaines also was a two-time state champion in the 400.
“Teddy refused to lose, whether it was in practice or a game,” said Brian Barrett, a longtime assistant football coach and track coach at Dobyns-Bennett. “He’s one of the hardest workers and most fearless competitors I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach.”
Barrett recalled one sequence of events from Gaines’ junior year, when D-B was facing an Oak Ridge team that had three Southeastern Conference prospects. Oak Ridge was lining up to kick a field goal right before halftime.”I told Teddy we have to block this kick,” Barrett said. “Sure enough Teddy lays out like a professional diver, slapped the ball down, and blocked the kick.”
So, is Gaines really ultra-competitive? Let’s just say he didn’t deny it.
“Most definitely,” he said. “You have to be competitive to have some success. Especially in football and the game of life. You gotta compete the right way, most definitely. I’m a competitor. I like to win. I compete the right way. And I try to instill that to my guys. Compete, work hard, win, on every snap, every rep, compete to the best of your ability and try to win every rep. All through the day. Compete in the classroom, off the field and obviously on the field.”
Gaines went on to play at Tennessee, where he appeared in 31 games across four seasons, starting three times as a senior in 2001. He finished his career with 87 total tackles, 19 passes defended, three tackles for loss, an interception, and a fumble recovery. He was on the national championship team in 1998 and there at the 1999 Fiesta Bowl to see the Vols beat Florida State and capture the title.
“Winning the national championship my true freshman year, it can’t get no better than that,” Gaines said. “Obviously we had a loaded team with a lot of talent. Looking back on it now, man, I played with a lot of professionals and All-Pros. All on the University of Tennessee team.”
After wrapping his career with the Vols, Gaines got chosen in the seventh round in the 2002 NFL Draft by San Francisco. He played for the 49ers and Bears in 2002, got another chance with the Bears in 2003, and played some internationally in NFL Europe and the Canadian Football League before transitioning to coaching, which he said was always part of his plan.
“Football’s been very good to me,” Gaines said. “I got to see a lot of things and a lot of places through the game of football. It’s always been my dream to play football as much as I could and stay close to the game and coach the game.
“As far as coaching, I’m just blessed with being able to coach the game. The game I love. I really don’t see it as work. Obviously it is work. It takes time. It gets strenuous and nerve-wracking at times, but I love it.”
This is the second stint coaching at Tusculum for Gaines; he spent the spring of 2013 as defensive backs coach before getting the call to join the staff at ETSU. Gaines spent six years as safeties coach for the Bucs under coordinator Billy Taylor, now the head man at Tusculum. Gaines has been the defensive coordinator for the Pioneers since Taylor became head coach at the close of the 2023 season.
“It’s been great, obviously a challenge. Been a challenge I look forward to,” said Gaines.
He talked about some of his influences who have helped shape his identity and philosophy as a coach. Taylor is on that list. So was Phillip Fulmer, Gaines’ head coach during his time playing at Tennessee.
“Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett, all those guys were good to me,” Gaines said, identifying longtime Tribe head coach Graham Clark, assistant Bob Bingham, and Barrett by name. “Going to the University of Tennessee, playing under Phillip Fulmer, I got to see a lot of things and got to experience a lot of success while I was there in Knoxville. Then getting into the coaching profession, Carl Torbush, he helped me out a lot. He gave me opportunities to coach at East Tennessee State the first time. … Coach Taylor is very professional. He tries to do it the right way and he’s very good at his job. I took a lot from Coach Taylor.”
Gaines is one of several former ETSU staffers now coaching at Tusculum, where it sounds like this trip to William B. Greene Stadium has been circled on the calendar for a while.
“We’re excited,” he said. “We all want to get down there in Johnson City and do well and compete and hopefully win this football game. Coach Taylor is definitely an East Tennessee State guy, going to school there and playing football for them also.
“We’re definitely gonna compete,” Gaines added. “Go in there believing that we can have success and win this football game. You’ll see a defense that’s flying around, that plays physical and trying to make plays.”
And so as Gaines returns to Johnson City, the competitor in him will be looking to make a statement. If his players have picked up on him, Tusculum will be ready to compete om every snap – and lay out like a diver, if need be – in pursuit of victory.
Elsewhere in the college world …
Volleyball
Makayla Bays, the reigning Southern Conference Player of the Year, had a solid statistical showing as ETSU began its 2026 campaign, even though the Bucs dropped all three matches in their Buccaneer Classic. Bays totaled 47 kills, 30 digs, three assist, and three blocks as ETSU fell in five games to Akron and Liberty and dropped a four-game match against Auburn.Bays and ETSU travel to Richmond this weekend for a tournament at VCU.
Soccer
The ETSU women’s soccer team is on a heater, winning three straight matches with a road trip at Georgia State looming on Thursday. Kassie Estep (Jonesborough/Daniel Boone) has gotten the start in the past two matches – a 2-0 win at UNC Asheville on Aug. 23 and a 2-1 win at Longwood Sunday – registering an assist in each of those contests. Addison Yelton, a Johnson City resident whose father and uncle comprise the Bucs coaching staff, remains a stalwart in goal for ETSU. Yelton has allowed one goal during the three-game win streak by ETSU.
Elsewhere in soccer, Tennessee GK Cayden Norris (Johnson City/Science Hill) is off to a fantastic start. She has allowed one goal total in her first four matches, all starts, with three clean sheets She’s benefiting from a stout defense that has allowed six shots on goal and 20 total shots thus far this season. The Lady Vols play at No. 12 Virginia on Thursday.
And Lillian Wittwer, a Class of 2027 whose mother is from Kingsport and went to Dobyns-Bennett, recently committed to Saint Louis. Wittwer plays attacking midfielder and striker for Battle Ground Academy in the Nashville area.
Football
A strong 2026 debut for VMI senior specialist Ben Shrewsbury (Jonesborough/Daniel Boone) as the Keydets dropped their season opener, 38-10, at Idaho State. Shrewsbury booted eight punts for a 51.4 yard average, with a long of 61 yards.
Women’s Golf
Two Dobyns-Bennett alums are playing golf at ETSU. Aliezah Robinson finished tied for 18th place, while McKenzie Hauk finished with a 149 total to tie for 24th place.