The 1980's: Building a Dynasty

Tennessee's First SCHA Team, 1979-80

During the Early 80's Tennessee Hockey received notoriety in HOCKEY Magazine as they highlighted coach Bill Rutherford, a former player, and his Ice Vols as a feature on the growth of ice hockey in the south. The Vols enjoyed great success on the ice led by All-SCHA players such as Rick Farmer, Hal McCrory, Clint Lothrop, Greg McMurray, and Jeff Beck. The success was limited due to the fact Tennessee was in the same conference as national power Alabama-Huntsville, which is now an NCAA Division One program. The rivalry with UAH was fierce. In both Knoxville and at Huntsville’s Von Braun Civic Center, the teams played to sellout crowds until UAH Moved to NCAA status in 1983. In 1981, HOCKEY Magazine ranked Tennessee as the #1 team in the Southern United States. The 1980-81 Ice Vols sat a team record with 22 wins, losing the SCHA Championship in a heartbreaking overtime thriller. The Ice Vols made it to four consecutive SCHA Championship games, losing again to UAH in 1981 and 1982 and to Auburn in 1983, despite capturing the SCHA regular season championship. The ‘83 Championship game would be Rutherford’s last as head coach. He would end his 6 year run as the winningest coach in Tennessee history, compiling a 72-29-3 record, and 4 SCHA Runner-Up finishes.

In the mid 1980’s, a group of young players including Hall of Famer’s Buzz Parrinello, Kevin Vandervort, Shaun Hall, and the Kirk Brothers-Cliff and Doug, would take charge in Big Orange country and re-write the Ice Vols record book, leading Tennessee to the 1987 SCHA Southern Division Championship as well as the SCHA Final Four. As the sport of hockey continued to grow in the south, the Ice Vols grew as well. When professional hockey returned to Knoxville in 1988 in the form of the ECHL’s Knoxville Cherokees, the Ice Vols received a new home in the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. At the time, the 5,500-seat arena was the largest home venue of any club team and was a major step forward for the UT program. By the end of the decade, Parinello, Vandervort, and Hall stood among the top scorers in Tennessee history.

4-time SCHA All-Star Jeff Beck

Jim Dewhirst digs the puck out of the corner

Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech, 1986