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Sports journalist Wes Rucker, who covered University of Tennessee athletics for more than two decades, died in a car crash in Knoxville on Thursday, Rucker’s father-in-law, David Goldberg, confirmed in a Facebook post.
He was 43.
Rucker, who was a Knoxville native, was the only casualty in the accident, which occurred on I-40 near Cedar Bluff, according to local reports.
“This is so very sad,” Goldberg wrote. “My son-in-law Wes Rucker married to my daughter Lauren was tragically killed in a car accident several hours ago.
“We are heartbroken. Lauren is expecting their 2nd child. We will miss him. Very sad.”
Rucker’s wife, Lauren, is expecting a baby girl in May, she previously shared in a Facebook post last December, showing their son, Hank, holding sonogram photos.
A GoFundMe page arranged by Rucker’s sister, Molly, says “funds will cover funeral, rent and baby needs.”
“In this recent time of a job transition, Wes did not currently have a life insurance policy,” it states. “All funds raised will go directly toward the ongoing needs of the Lauren and the kids in this time of transition and uncertainty.”
University of Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes opened his Friday press conference honoring Rucker.
“We lost a friend and a colleague yesterday,” Barnes, 71, said ahead of the Volunteers’ 69-85 victory against Vanderbilt on Saturday. “It’s heartbreaking, it really is. It’s heartbreaking. Our hearts and prayers go out to Lauren, his son, Hank, and the one that’s on the way. We just ask that God will place a holy hedge of protection around his entire family.
“Wes was a wonderful person. A wonderful guy. He covered athletics here for a quarter of a century. He was such a part of the UT family and the sports family here in Knoxville. Say a prayer for Wes’ family. I know that we’re going to miss him dearly. He loved what he did. He loved his family. I’m just thankful that God allowed him to be a part of my life for the last 11 years.”
Rucker previously held votes in prestigious awards and polls, including the Heisman Trophy.
“Wes turned his passion for journalism, sports, and history into a two-decade career covering Tennessee athletics across print, radio, digital, and television media,” the Knoxville News Sentinel wrote in “life story” tribute.
“He never hesitated to share his love for the Chicago Cubs and Arsenal FC. Wes’s passing has reverberated throughout Rocky Top and the wider sports community, where his words had become a constant companion for Volunteers fans, live during events and through insightful columns.”
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