Karen Weekly to be Inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association just announced its 2018 Hall of Fame Induction class and Tennessee co-head coach Karen Weekly is among those who will be inducted into the 28^th class on December 7, 2018 in Chicago.

Weekly, along with her husband co-head coach Ralph Weekly, a 2011 NFCA Hall of Fame Inductee, has guided the Lady Vols to seven appearances in the Women's College World Series, including national runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2013.

"I am incredibly humbled," said Karen Weekly. "It hasn't sunk in and I don't know if it ever will."

Having served as co-head coach of the Tennessee program since 2002, Weekly has compiled an impressive record of 802-245-2 (.756) despite competing in the nation's strongest softball conference–all 13 SEC teams made the 2017 NCAA Tournament field. The Lady Vols have averaged more than 47 wins per season over the last five years.

Under Weekly's guidance, Tennessee has captured nine NCAA Regional championships, seven NCAA Super Regional championships, SEC Tournament championships in 2006 and 2011, the 2007 SEC Regular Season Championship and SEC Eastern Division titles in 2004 and 2007.

Weekly is a member of the 1,000-win club and ranks 18th with 1,025 wins. She has also coached the USA National Team to a gold medal. She was an assistant on the US Women's Senior National Team that won gold medals in the Mayor's Cup and the Pan American games in 2013.

"I have so much respect and admiration for the coaches in our Hall of Fame and the trails they blazed in fastpitch softball," stated Weekly. "To hear my name called to join that special group is an indescribable honor."

Among the myriad of coaching honors collected by Weekly are awards recognizing her UT staff as the 2005 and 2007 Speedline South Region Coaching Staff of the Year. The staff has been a three-time recipient of the NFCA Southeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year award. Weekly was also named SEC Co-Coach of the Year after guiding the Lady Vols to an Eastern Division Championship in 2004 and 2007.

Weekly has produced 71 All-SEC or SEC All-Freshman selections, 33 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American honorees, five SEC Player of the Years, four SEC Freshman of the Year, three SEC Pitchers of the Year and 59 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Region selections.

Under the Weeklys' leadership, Tennessee was the first SEC team to reach No. 1 in the polls and reach the WCWS Championship Series (both in 2007). They have recruited and developed many of the greatest players in program history, such as 2007 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Monica Abbott, Madison Shipman, Lauren Gibson, Tonya Callahan, Raven Chavanne, Lindsay Schutzler, Kristi Durant, Sarah Fekete, India Chiles, Kat Dotson, Ellen Renfroe, Tiffany Huff, Rainey Gaffin and Meghan Gregg, to name a few. Abbott and Shipman each were named the prestigious Honda Sports Award winner for Softball in 2007 and 2017, respectively.

Academic highlights during her tenure include a remarkable 21 CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-American selections. The program also produced back-to-back Capital One Academic All-Americans of the Year for Division I Softball when Chavanne and Renfroe won the award in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

The Lady Vols also have posted a team GPA of at least a 3.0 in 23 of the last 24 semesters.

Joining Weekly in the class will be Salisbury University head coach Margie Knight and North Davidson High School head coach Mike Lambros (posthumously).

University of Tennessee Athletics

Karen Weekly to be Inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame

Players Mentioned

Rainey Gaffin

Meghan Gregg

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