Karen Weekly Creates a Legacy throughout her Career

By Grace Pohl, Tennessee Media Relations Intern

Karen Weekly is entering her 18th season at Tennessee as the softball program's co-head coach with 1,073 career wins under her belt. But the sport of softball is just one part of her versatile life.

Off the field, Weekly practices law. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Washington's School of Law in 1990 and was an associate attorney at Williams, Kastner & Gibbs in Seattle, Wash., from September 1990 through November 1994.

After practicing law in Seattle, Weekly's husband was offered a softball coaching position at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga. After making the move to Tennessee, she continued her law career with an attorney job at Grant, Konvalinka & Harrison in Chattanooga from November 1994 to August 1995. During her years of practicing law, she did not have enough time to hold a full-time coaching position.

In August 1995, Weekly accepted a job as an assistant professor in the College of Business Administration at UTC and taught a course entitled the "Legal Environment of Business." This allowed her to enter back into a role of coaching by helping her husband with the softball team.

"I essentially became a volunteer assistant coach," Weekly said. "While we were at UTC, he (Ralph) spent quite a bit of time on the U.S. National Team and while he was gone, I would serve as the head coach of the team."

Fast forward a few years, Joan Cronan, the women's athletics director for UT at the time, called the Weeklys in 2001 and asked them to take over the softball program at Tennessee as co-head coaches. Due to accepting a coaching position full-time, Weekly wasn't able to continue practicing law or teaching business law.

"That was kind of a tough decision because I was giving up a career that I had on my own for about 11 years," Weekly said. "But looking back at the last 17 years here at Tennessee, I am really happy I made that choice."

Softball has always been part of Weekly's life as she grew up playing with her dad and sisters. She competed in her first organized softball game at just eight-years-old.

"At home, I always played softball or baseball with my dad and sisters," Weekly said. "We would just go out and throw a ball in the yard."

But even with her dedication to softball, it wasn't the only sport that consumed Weekly's life as she also competed in tennis and basketball. Ironically, basketball was her passion growing up and it was her No. 1 choice to play at in the collegiate level.

"I really ended up playing softball in college because I had friends on the softball team," Weekly said. "And some of my basketball teammates decided to play softball, so I decided to play as well."

Weekly competed in both basketball and softball collegiately at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash. After she graduated and went on to law school, she started helping out with the softball team at PLU for a couple days a week.

"Over time, it was just an evolution," Weekly said. "There became a point in time where I couldn't see myself never being on a basketball court or a softball field ever again in my life because I had spent so much time in my life involved in sports."

Throughout her time around the sport, she has seen changes happen throughout the game of softball firsthand. When she was 15-years-old, her team went to Nationals and continued to compete there until she was 18. Back then, only 32 teams went to Nationals after winning a state and regional championship. Plus, there was only one National event, the ASA.

"Now there are countless national tournaments," Weekly said. "It seems like everyone gets to play in a national event, if you have the money to afford it. Back when I was playing, you really had to earn your way on the field."

Things have also changed for student-athletes competing at the college level. Back when Weekly was a player, their team would sleep on church floors on sleeping bags. Compared to now, the players stay in nice hotels and get per diem money while traveling.

"The changes are unbelievable," Weekly said. "But when you do get to college, the way that they are treated is so much better than the way we were treated. There were a lot of women that came before me that really fought for equality. There were men that fought for that too, but it was primarily women who paved that way and really brought the sport into the limelight."

Her time and dedication to the sport has paid off as she serves as the current president of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), where she has held several committee positions and the Academy of Legal Studies in Business.

"It has been a real honor to serve our association and serve our coaches in the United States," Weekly said. "I have learned so much in this position about our sport. I have also learned so much more about the NFCA and everything that they do for our sport along with everything they do to serve the coaches in this sport. It is all about continuing to progress and continuing to grow to try and it one of the best sports in America."

Following her success on and off the field, Weekly will be inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in December 2018. Her husband, Ralph, was also induced back in 2011.

"It is very humbling," Weekly said. "I still pinch myself every time I think about it or somebody brings it up. But getting to that point where your peers recognize you in that way has everything to do with your athletes. You wouldn't even be considered for the hall of fame if you haven't won any games and winning games is all about having great student-athletes. Not just talented student-athletes, but ones with great character."

Another aspect that Weekly brings to the table for her student-athletes is providing them with an experience of a female co-head coach. Weekly has been using this role to teach her athletes that there is more to life outside of the sport and that they can achieve anything they want.

"I think it is important for women in sport to see women coaches and female role models," Weekly said. "I think it is also important for them to see there are other things to do besides coach. I never want our girls to graduate from here and feel like all they're equipped to do is softball. I want them to have a well-rounded experience while they are at Tennessee."

And having that female role model has meant a lot to players over their time at Tennessee. Whether it came to softball or their own personal lives, Weekly was there to help guide them in their life choices.

"Having a female co-head coach throughout my career meant a lot," said Mellissa Brown, a former player and the current director of softball operations. "In-and-out of softball, Karen has impacted my life in many ways. I wouldn't be in my position today, or have my job today working for the team if not for Karen's interest in myself and what I wanted to take outside of playing softball for her. Karen has always been one to get the most out of everybody and want everyone to reach their potential. Whether it's pursue athletics after or whatever job they desire, she just wants the best for her athletes and her players."

"To have a female coach throughout my college career was actually something special," said India Chiles, a former player and current volunteer assistant coach. "In the sport of softball, Karen has impacted me heavily because the sky was always the limit. I came in as one player and literally left out a completely different player. She was my No. 1 motivator and fighter. How patient and encouraging she was, was really impactful for me. She is an awesome role model in the sport and because she has actually thrived professionally outside."

Weekly is entering the 2018-2019 softball season hoping to add on to her 850 victories, five top-three national finishes and with seven appearance sin the Women's College World Series. In 2018, the Vols continued their streak of postseason appearances, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the 15th straight year after a fourth-place finish in the SEC.

The 2018 regular season included a 22-game win streaking, earning them the No. 10 national seed entering the post season. The Big Orange went 3-0 in the Knoxville Regional to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals for the sixth time in seventh years.

"Ralph and I have been able to coach together and build something here at Tennessee that we are really proud of," Weekly said. "We have had a lot of student-athletes come through this program that we have great relationships with. While sometimes I miss the practice of law and in the classroom, I really, really love coaching."

University of Tennessee Athletics

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