University of Tennessee Athletics
Aubrey Leach Elevated to Assistant Coach
June 15, 2026 | Softball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee head softball coach Karen Weekly announced Monday the elevation of Aubrey Leach-Gartner from director of player development to assistant coach.
Leach-Gartner spent the past two seasons as the Lady Vols' director of player development, helping Tennessee to 96 victories and back-to-back appearances at the Women's College World Series. The Lady Vols advanced to the national semifinals in both 2025 and 2026.
"Aubrey is one of the brightest young minds in the game," Weekly said. "We are blessed that she chose to make Tennessee her home in 2016 as a freshman in our Lady Vol program. It has been such a joy to watch her career progress from college player to professional player and now a college coach. Our young women have benefited greatly from her expertise and mentorship through the years, and our student-athletes are ecstatic about continuing to work with Aubrey."
Prior to serving as director of player development, Leach-Gartner spent three seasons as a graduate assistant while pursuing her juris doctor. During her time as a GA, Tennessee captured three Southeastern Conference championships – two regular-season titles and one tournament crown – while posting 136 wins. The Lady Vols also made two Super Regional appearances and reached the semifinals of the 2023 Women's College World Series.
A standout for Tennessee from 2016-19, Leach-Gartner cemented her place among the program's all-time greats, ranking second in school history in both runs scored (253) and career on-base percentage (.503). She was a two-time NFCA All-American, earning first-team honors in 2018 and third-team recognition in 2019.
Following her collegiate career, Leach-Gartner signed with Scrap Yard Fast Pitch in 2019 before spending the past seven seasons competing in Athletes Unlimited. She currently plays professionally for the Carolina Blaze and serves as the chairperson of the AUSL Players Executive Committee. A two-time Tennessee graduate, she has also enjoyed an accomplished international career with Team USA, winning gold medals at the 2022 and 2023 Pan American Games.
"Tennessee softball is home, and there is no place I would rather be," Leach-Gartner said. "I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue pushing the Lady Vol legacy into the future. I cannot thank Karen enough for believing in me as a player and now as an assistant coach."
Since returning to her alma mater in the fall of 2021, Leach-Gartner has been part of 232 victories, five NCAA Tournament appearances, three Women's College World Series trips and three SEC championships.
Leach-Gartner spent the past two seasons as the Lady Vols' director of player development, helping Tennessee to 96 victories and back-to-back appearances at the Women's College World Series. The Lady Vols advanced to the national semifinals in both 2025 and 2026.
"Aubrey is one of the brightest young minds in the game," Weekly said. "We are blessed that she chose to make Tennessee her home in 2016 as a freshman in our Lady Vol program. It has been such a joy to watch her career progress from college player to professional player and now a college coach. Our young women have benefited greatly from her expertise and mentorship through the years, and our student-athletes are ecstatic about continuing to work with Aubrey."
Prior to serving as director of player development, Leach-Gartner spent three seasons as a graduate assistant while pursuing her juris doctor. During her time as a GA, Tennessee captured three Southeastern Conference championships – two regular-season titles and one tournament crown – while posting 136 wins. The Lady Vols also made two Super Regional appearances and reached the semifinals of the 2023 Women's College World Series.
A standout for Tennessee from 2016-19, Leach-Gartner cemented her place among the program's all-time greats, ranking second in school history in both runs scored (253) and career on-base percentage (.503). She was a two-time NFCA All-American, earning first-team honors in 2018 and third-team recognition in 2019.
Following her collegiate career, Leach-Gartner signed with Scrap Yard Fast Pitch in 2019 before spending the past seven seasons competing in Athletes Unlimited. She currently plays professionally for the Carolina Blaze and serves as the chairperson of the AUSL Players Executive Committee. A two-time Tennessee graduate, she has also enjoyed an accomplished international career with Team USA, winning gold medals at the 2022 and 2023 Pan American Games.
"Tennessee softball is home, and there is no place I would rather be," Leach-Gartner said. "I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue pushing the Lady Vol legacy into the future. I cannot thank Karen enough for believing in me as a player and now as an assistant coach."
Since returning to her alma mater in the fall of 2021, Leach-Gartner has been part of 232 victories, five NCAA Tournament appearances, three Women's College World Series trips and three SEC championships.
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