UT extends contract for Karen Weekly

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced that Tennessee Athletics and softball head coach Karen Weekly have agreed in principle to a five-year contract extension on Thursday. The contract extension would run through June 30, 2028.

Weekly led her program to SEC regular-season and tournament titles in 2023 – the first time the Lady Vols have claimed both crowns in the same year.

“I’ve been impressed from day one with Karen with her ultra-competitive mindset to be the best and how professional she goes about her business in leading our softball program,” said White. “She is a great representative of our athletics department and the competitive excellence we strive to have. We are excited to sign her to a long-term extension to keep her on Rocky Top.”

Weekly earned 2023 SEC Coach of the Year honors after leading Tennessee to its first regular-season conference championship since 2007. Under her leadership, the Lady Vols led the SEC wire-to-wire and went 41-8 overall and 19-5 in league action. It was the third coach of the year award for Weekly during her tenure on Rocky Top, previously earning the honor as UT’s co-head coach in 2004 and 2007.

Tennessee defeated Florida, Alabama and South Carolina last weekend to bring home the SEC Tournament trophy for the first time since 2011. Weekly has now guided the UT softball program to five total SEC titles.

The Lady Vols enter the upcoming NCAA Softball Championships as the No. 4 national seed – also a program-best.

“It’s a privilege to be the softball coach at Tennessee and to work for Danny White,” said Weekly. “I appreciate his faith and trust in me to lead Lady Vol softball into the future. The support we receive from the athletics administration is phenomenal. Chancellor Donde Plowman is an incredible leader for our campus and I’m grateful for her mentorship. I am blessed to coach a terrific group of young women and work alongside amazing assistants and staff who share our vision for success.”

The Lady Vols were led on the field this season by a host of first-team All-SEC performers, including McKenna Gibson, Kiki Milloy, Zaida Puni and Ashley Rogers. Freshman phenom Karlyn Pickens was tabbed SEC Freshman of the Year and also collected second-team All-SEC accolades for her work in the circle.

Tennessee’s pitching staff set itself apart from the rest of the league this season, as it had a true three-arm rotation featuring Rogers, Pickens and Payton Gottshall. The trio combined for 38 of UT’s 44 wins on the year thus far, with 363 strikeouts, 18 complete games and 12 shutouts.

Pitchers Charli Orsini, Nicola Simpson and Ryleigh White added depth to UT’s staff, as all three picked up wins for the Lady Vols and finished the season with sub-two ERAs. As a staff, the six pitchers combined for the best ERA in the SEC and ranked third in the nation at 1.52.

While the pitching staff stole the headlines, Tennessee’s offense was just as potent. The Lady Vols averaged a league-best 6.98 runs per game – a mark that ranked second nationally. UT also averaged 1.29 home runs per game – good for second in the conference and 14th in the country.

Weekly’s 2023 squad also reinvigorated the fanbase, as Tennessee recorded its second-highest weekend attendance figure in Sherri Parker Lee Stadium when Alabama came to town for a three-game series. The Lady Vols won the series in front of a three-day total of 6,918 fans.

To date, 40,476 fans have passed through the gates at SPL to cheer Tennessee to a 19-4 home record this season.

With all nine position players and two starting pitchers projected to return in 2024, Weekly and the Lady Vols look to build on this season’s success.

Weekly boasts more than 1,200 career head coaching wins and a record of 1,034-326-2 (.760) during her 22 years on Rocky Top.

And among coaches in head-to-head sports at the University of Tennessee, only Pat Summitt (1,098) has collected more wins than Weekly.

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