The Tennessee Lady Volunteers softball program is a college softball team that represents the University of Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference. The Lady Vols compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. The current head coach is Karen Weekly, who coached her first season jointly with her husband Ralph Weekly in 2002. Ralph retired in 2021, leaving Karen as the sole coach.[1]
The first season of softball at Tennessee was in 1996. The team has had three recorded head coaches.
The Lady Vols have appeared in the Women's College World Series nine times, and twice finished as the runner-up.
Key
General
| #
|
Number of coaches[a]
|
| GC
|
Games coached
|
|
|
Conference[b]
| CW
|
Wins
|
| CL
|
Losses
|
| CT
|
Ties
|
| C%
|
Winning percentage
|
|
Postseason[c]
| PA
|
Total appearances[d]
|
| PW
|
Total wins
|
| PL
|
Total losses
|
| WA
|
Women's College World Series appearances[e]
|
| WW
|
Women's College World Series wins
|
| WL
|
Women's College World Series losses
|
|
Championships
| DC
|
Division regular season[f]
|
| CC
|
Conference regular season
|
| CT
|
Conference tournament[g]
|
|
Coaches
List of head Softball coaches showing season(s) coached, overall records, conference records, postseason records, and championships.[h]
| #
|
Name
|
Term
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1
|
Jim Beitia
|
1996-2001
|
396
|
233
|
163
|
0
|
.588
|
64
|
75
|
0
|
.460
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
1
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
| 2
|
Ralph Weekly and Karen Weekly
|
2002-2021
|
1251
|
949
|
300
|
2
|
.759
|
501
|
174
|
1
|
.742
|
17
|
62
|
26
|
7
|
15
|
14
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
—
|
| 3
|
Karen Weekly[i]
|
2022-present
|
240
|
183
|
57
|
0
|
.763
|
68
|
27
|
0
|
.716
|
4
|
16
|
5
|
2
|
4
|
4
|
—
|
2
|
1
|
—
|
Notes
- ^ A running total of the number of head coaches.
- ^ The Lady Vols played their first season as an independent, and then each season after as a member of the SEC.
- ^ Postseason play involving the NCAA Division I softball championship.
- ^ Postseason appearances include seasons with NCAA Division I softball championship bids.
- ^ Women's College World Series appearances include seasons with WCWS bids.
- ^ The SEC used a divisional format from 1997–2013. The division winner with the highest record was named SEC regular season champion.
- ^ The SEC softball tournament began in 1997.
- ^ Statistics correct as of the end of the 2025 college softball season.
- ^ Includes her records as sole head coach. Note that she also is credited with the results of her time as co-head coach from 2002 through 2021.
References