Wes Rucker Rick Barnes Tennessee Credit: WBIR, Ben McKee on X
By Matt Yoder on

Tragedy struck the sports media world as longtime Tennessee sports media personality Wes Rucker passed away at the age of 43.

Just hours after hosing his WBIR show in Knoxville, Rucker was killed in a car accident on Interstate 40 that involved five vehicles.

Tributes poured in for Rucker on Thursday night after news broke of his tragic and sudden passing. He was a longtime voice covering Tennessee athletics, both as a sportswriter, podcaster, and host. Since 2000, he had been a go-to voice for all things Tennessee sports working at a number of outlets.

On Friday, Volunteers basketball coach Rick Barnes spoke to reporters and took time to pay tribute to Wes Rucker and lift up his family.

“We lost a friend and a colleague yesterday in Wes Rucker and it’s just heartbreaking,” Barnes said. “And 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 family. Wes was a wonderful person. A wonderful guy. Covered athletics here for what, a quarter of a century, and such a part of the UT family and the sports family here in Knoxville. We just ask that today at some point you say a prayer for Wes’s family. I know that again 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 eleven years. Today at some point I just pray that you pray for his family.”

It was a wonderful gesture from Rick Barnes to take that time to share such a heartfelt tribute to Wes Rucker, who has been a fixture in the Knoxville community and with Tennessee athletics. He was just 43 years of age.

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