The Classic 150 Toast of Champions, an annual fundraising event for the Classic 150 presented by Adman Electric, has announced Will Healy, UNC Charlotte head football coach, as its guest of honor for this year’s event. The event recognizes people who have been an advocate and a champion for sports in the community. The event will take place at the Chattanooga Convention Center on Tuesday, April 23, with Adman Electric Company as the title sponsor.
“We are very excited to honor Chattanooga native Will Healy and equally excited to have Adman Electric Company as the title sponsor” said Mickey McCamish, president, Classic 150. “We are very proud of Will and his accomplishments and look forward to following his career.”
Previous honorees for the event include John “Thunder” Thornton, former UTC Chancellor Fred and Ruth Obear, the late Dr. Basketball, Gary Haskew, UTC’s Russ Huesman and Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger.
"Funds raised at the Toast will be used to assist the Classic 150 in bringing sporting events to our community that bring either regional or national recognition to the City of Chattanooga," officials said. "These sporting events provide economic development opportunities to the community."
The Classic 150 is a membership organization and is an IRS 501 (c) 3 non-profit.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by the Classic 150 – an organization that does great work by increasing awareness of Chattanooga through sports,” said Mr. Healy. “Chattanooga holds a special place in my heart and I look forward to the opportunity to bring awareness to the community.”
“Adman Electric is extremely pleased to be a part of such a great event and support the Classic 150 in honoring Will Healy,” said Todd Moreland, owner, Adman Electric.
Mr. Healy, a two-time all-state quarterback at Chattanooga’s Boyd-Buchanan High School, still holds the Chattanooga area career passing record with more than 7,700 yards. After graduation, Mr. Healy attended the University of Richmond, where he was a team captain on the Spiders’ 2008 National Title team.
Mr. Healy spent seven years at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga holding positions of recruiting coordinator, passing game coordinator, quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach before being hired as the head coach at Austin Peay in 2015. In his second season as head coach, he led Austin Peay to a record of 7-1 in the FCS and earned the OVC Coach of the Year Award and the Eddie Robinson Award by STATS for the FCS National Coach of the Year. This past December, Mr. Healy was announced as the head coach of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte – becoming the second youngest active FBS head coach. Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney called it a “home run hire” for Charlotte and added that Mr. Healy is “as sharp as they come.”
"For over 20 years, the Classic 150 has invested over $2 million in sporting events such as bringing the PGA Tour to Chattanooga, hosting the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship, hosting the NCAA Women’s Regional Basketball Tournament among others," officials said.