University of Tennessee Athletics
Pitching Legend Michele Granger Joins Lady Vol Softball Staff
September 05, 2001 | Softball
Sept. 5, 2001
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - University of Tennessee co-head coaches Karen and Ralph Weekly, who will be entering their first season in charge of the Lady Vol softball program, have completed their staff for the spring by naming Michele Granger as the team's assistant coach.
"Karen and I have known Michele for the past eight years and have worked with her on a regular basis with the U.S. National Team," said Ralph Weekly. "Michele is not only a fantastic coach, but is an outstanding person in every aspect. She is totally dedicated to helping us become better and better each day in our drive to achieve softball excellence."
No stranger to international success, Granger was a pitcher on the U.S. Olympic gold medal team in 1996, going 2-0 with a 0.87 earned run average and 25 strikeouts in 16 innings. One of her wins came in the gold medal-clinching victory over China. She was also a member of the USA team that won the gold medal at the 1995 Superball Classic in Columbus, Ga. In addition, she fanned 57 batters in hurling four shutouts and one perfect game to help the USA win the gold medal at the 1995 Pan American Games in Parana, Argentina.
Granger helped the USA team to gold medals at the 1994 ISF Women's World Championship in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, the 1994 South Pacific Classic in Sydney, Australia, and the 1991 Pan American Games in Santiago, Cuba. She was chosen as the U.S. Olympic Committee Player of the Year for softball in both 1986 and 1987.
She also pitched the USA to the 1987 ISF Junior Girls World Championship while setting records for wins (eight), strikeouts (97) and innings pitched (56 1/3). Granger became the only player in history to compete in the ISF Junior Girls World Championship, the U.S. Olympic Festival, the Pan American Games and an ASA National Championship in the same season (1987). A gold medallist at the 1986 ISF Women's World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand, she registered a 0.00 ERA and was named to the all-tournament team in her international debut.
On the national level, she was a gold medallist at the 1993 and 1994 U.S. Olympic Festivals and received the prestigious Bertha Tickey Award as the Most Valuable Pitcher at the ASA Women's Major National Championship three times (1986, 1987 and 1988). Ironically, her head coach at the '94 Festival was Ralph Weekly. A member of the 1987 ASA Women's Major National Champions, Granger later earned MVP accolades at the 1988 ASA Women's Fast Pitch National Championship. A two-time ASA All-American, she was a nominee for the AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award in 1986 and 1987 and was inducted into the Amateur Athletes Hall of Fame in Johnstown, Pa., in 1986. Previously, she was an ASA 18 & Under Fast Pitch National Champion (1984 and 1985).
One of the top pitchers in the history of women's collegiate softball, Granger was a four-time All-American at the University of California-Berkeley between 1990-93, completing her career with a 119-52 mark and a 0.46 ERA. She holds 20 school records and five NCAA marks and holds the distinction of being a four-time All-Pacific Region selection, a four-time All-Pac 10 choice and a four-time Honda Sports Award finalist. She established what was then an NCAA record with 1,640 strikeouts during her career and had 25 no-hitters and five perfect games as a Golden Bear. She still holds Cal records in a variety of categories, including career victories (119), games (183), games started (162), complete games (155), innings pitched (1,202), strikeouts (1,640) and shutouts (94).
In 1993, she was honored as the March of Dimes College Athlete of the Year and as the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame Female College Athlete of the Year. Over her tenure at Cal, she was tabbed as the Daily Californian's Female Athlete of the Year on three occasions (1990, 1991 & 1993) and was named as the "Best of Berkeley" top Female Athlete in '93.
Granger will arrive in Knoxville after serving as a volunteer pitching coach at San Jose State University during the 2001 campaign. In May, Granger was the color commentator for ESPN's coverage of the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla. Previously, she was a volunteer pitching coaching for the University of California, Davis from 1997-2000.
Granger earned bachelor's degrees in mass communications and history from Cal in 1993. She and her husband, John Poulos, have three children: Kady, John and Lindsay.
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