10  Nate Headley Position: Volunteer Coach

Nate Headley is in his second year with the Tennessee baseball coaching staff, serving in a volunteer role after attaining previous experience coaching youth baseball and working as a major league scout. He works with the Vols outfielders and assists with hitting instruction.

Nate Headley

Headley's primarily all-freshmen outfield exceeded expectations in 2008. The true-freshman trio of centerfielder Kentrail Davis, right fielder Josh Liles and left fielder P.J. Polk combined to account for 28.8 percent of the team's hits, 26.8 percent of the team's runs and 33.6 percent of the club's RBI. In addition, the trio was responsible for 18 of the team's 55 stolen bases and 25 of the team's home runs (37.3 percent).

Davis finished the season as the team leader in nine different offensive statistical categories and earned second-team All-SEC honors while also being unanimously named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Polk joined Davis on the SEC All-Freshman team.

Under Headley's watchful eye, Tennessee's talented trio of rookies combined to post a solid .961 fielding percentage, with six outfield assists.

Immediately prior to joining UT head coach Todd Raleigh's staff prior to the 2008 season, Headley spent more than two years working at Knoxville Yard Baseball Academy. He was the head coach of the Yard's 16-Under team that won the 2007 World Wood Bat National Association national championship in East Cobb, Ga. Four of his players from the Yard were selected in the 2007 MLB draft. A total of 16 players he instructed at the Yard were awarded NCAA Division I scholarships, and 14 other players were awarded Division II or junior college scholarships.

Headley also was employed for nearly a year as an associate scout with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays prior to joining the Tennessee program.

Before his tenure at the Knoxville Yard, where he worked alongside former major leaguer Garth Iorg, Headley spent time recruiting the Cape Cod Baseball League during a stint with Allegiant Management sports agency in Knoxville.

The Fountain, Colo., native's first baseball coaching experience came in 2001 and 2002, when he served as an assistant with the Colorado Springs Bulldogs 17-Under team. While there, he coordinated team practice sessions, directed hitting, pitching and fielding clinics and also coached first and third base.

Headley attended Colby Community College in Colby, Kan., on a baseball scholarship in 1999.

He received a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Colorado State University in 2003 and also earned his Master's degree in Sport management from Tennessee in 2005.

His younger brother, Chase, was a baseball letterman at Tennessee from 2004-05 and earned All-America and All-SEC acclaim as a third baseman on the Vols' 2005 College World Series team. Chase was selected by the San Diego Padres in the second round of the 2005 MLB draft and made his major-league debut with the Padres in the summer of 2007.

THE NATE HEADLEY FILE

Full Name: Nathan Campbell Headley

Born: Feb. 25, 1981

Hometown: Fountain, Colo.

Education: Bachelor of Science - Accounting (Colorado State University, 2003); Master of Science - Sport management (University of Tennessee, 2005)

Playing Experience: Colby (Kan.) Community College, 1999 (Third Baseman, Pitcher)

Coaching Experience: Assistant coach for Colorado Springs Bulldogs 17-Under (2001-02); Head coach for Knoxville Yard 16-Under (2007); Volunteer assistant coach at Tennessee (2008-present)