June 29, 2002

University of Tennessee Athletics Director Doug Dickey announced Friday the retirement of Assistant Athletics Director for Physical Development John Stucky and the appointment of Associate Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Johnny Long as his successor effective July 1.

Stucky, 54, is stepping down because of continuing medical problems. He has been on medical leave for the past year and is retiring on the advice of his physician. He came to UT in 1994 after stints at Arkansas (twice), Oklahoma State, North Carolina State, Wichita State and Kansas State. He played collegiately at Kansas State (1968-70) and professionally for the British Columbia Lions (1970-71) of the Canadian Football League.

"John Stucky set a standard for energy and dedication in the Vols weight room," Dickey said. "His accomplishments are many and his legacy can be seen in the young men who represent the University on the field of play. He casts a long shadow across the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center."

In the spring of 2001, Stucky was named one of 10 Master Strength and Conditioning Coaches by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association. The title was the highest honor that can be achieved as a strength and conditioning coach. Since he arrived, the Vols have compiled an 80-16 record (.833) and have won the national championship in 1998, two SEC crowns (1997-98) and three SEC Eastern Division titles.

Long, 33, graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in 1994 and began his tenure at Tennessee as a graduate assistant. He advanced to the position of Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach two years later and was named associate coach in 1999 before taking his current post. The former weightlifter competed for 16 years on the Olympic-caliber level before an injury halted his competitive career at 24 years old. He has been involved in strength coaching and instruction for 18 years.

"I know that Johnny Long is up to the job," Dickey said. "He learned at John Stucky's knee, but will make his own mark on the strength and conditioning program."

Long is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the College Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, the U.S. Weightlifting Federation and the American Football Coaches Association.

"It is an honor to be named to this position at one of the top institutions in America," Long said. "I have some big shoes to fill, but the system John Stucky implemented eight years ago will make for a smooth transition. I can't easily express how much this opportunity working alongside Coach (Phillip) Fulmer, one of the best coaches in America, means to me. But I think my experience working alongside Coach Stucky, one of the best strength coaches in America, has prepared me to meet these challenges."

Long is married to the former Misty Bumgartner.

In other Athletics Department news, longtime Custodial Supervisor Bernard Norton Jr. is retiring effective July 1, ending a 38-year career that began when he was in high school. His father, Bernard Norton Sr., served UTAD in a similar capacity for 47 years, from 1936-83.