WEEKLY'S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Coaching Experience

1986-94: Pacific Lutheran, head coach
1995-98, 2001: Chattanooga, head coach/co-head coach
2002-21: Tennessee, co-head coach

TENNESSEE HIGHLIGHTS

Seven trips to the Women's College World Series (2005, 06, 07, 10, 12, 13, 15)
Two-time WCWS Runner-Up Finish (2007, 13)
Seven-time NCAA Super Regional Champion (2005, 06, 07, 10, 12, 13, 15)
11-time NCAA Regional Champion (2005, 06, 07, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19)
Two-time SEC Tournament Champion (2006, 11)
2007 SEC Regular-Season Champions
Three-time SEC Eastern Division Champion (2004, 07, 12)
18 consecutive SEC Tournament appearances (2003-21)
Two-time Speedline South Region Coaching Staff of the Year (2005, 07)
Three-time NFCA Southeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year (2010, 12, 13)
Two-time SEC Co-Coach of the Year (2004, 07)
UT Daily Beacon Lady Vol Coach of the Year (2001-02, 02-03)
86 All-SEC or SEC All-Freshman selections
71 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Region selections
38 NFCA All-America selections
24 CoSIDA Academic All-America selections
First SEC team to reach No. 1 in polls (2007)
First SEC team to reach WCWS Championship Series (2007)

CHATTANOOGA HIGHLIGHTS

NCAA Regionals 2001
Two-time SoCon Coach of the Year (1998, 2001)
Four-time SoCon Champions (1995, 97, 98, 2001)
Four-time SoCon Tournament Champions (1996, 97, 98, 2001)

PACIFIC LUTHERAN HIGHLIGHTS

Two-time NAIA National Champions (1988, 92)
1990 NAIA National Runner-Up
Two-time NAIA National Coach of the Year (1988, 92)
Eight-time NAIA West Region Coach of the Year (1986-90, 1992-94)

WEEKLY'S YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD

Year	School	W-L-T	Pct.
2021	Tennessee*	42-15	.740
2020	Tennessee*	14-9^	.608
2019	Tennessee*	43-17	.716
2018	Tennessee*	48-14	.774
2017	Tennessee*	48-12	.800
2016	Tennessee*	43-16	.729
2015	Tennessee*	47-17	.734
2014	Tennessee*	46-12	.793
2013	Tennessee*	52-12	.813
2012	Tennessee*	52-14	.788
2011	Tennessee*	49-12	.803
2010	Tennessee*	49-15	.766
2009	Tennessee*	40-18-1	.686
2008	Tennessee*	50-16	.758
2007	Tennessee*	63-8	.887
2006	Tennessee*	61-12	.836
2005	Tennessee*	67-15	.817
2004	Tennessee*	55-16	.775
2003	Tennessee*	45-25	.643
2002	Tennessee*	35-25-1	.582
2001	Chattanooga*	49-18	.731
1998	Chattanooga*	47-15	.758
1997	Chattanooga*	32-19	.627
1996	Chattanooga	34-15	.694
1995	Chattanooga	29-21	.580
1994	Pacific Lutheran	39-19	.672
1993	Pacific Lutheran	35-9	.795
1992	Pacific Lutheran	34-13	.723
1991	Pacific Lutheran	36-8	.818
1990	Pacific Lutheran	40-8	.833
1989	Pacific Lutheran	33-13	.717
1988	Pacific Lutheran	39-6	.867
1987	Pacific Lutheran	29-11	.725
1986	Pacific Lutheran	25-6	.806
Totals:		1,450-481-2	.750

School	Years	Record	Pct.
Tennessee*	19	949-300-2	.759
Chattanooga*	5	191-88	.685
Pacific Lutheran	9	310-93	.769
Totals:	33	1,450-481-2	.750

*Co-Head Coach with Karen Weekly
^Season canceled on March 12 due to coronavirus (COVID-19) world health crisis

Ralph Weekly announced his retirement from coaching in June 2021 after a decorated 35-year coaching career highlighted by 20 years at the helm of the Lady Vols program. Upon retiring, Weekly assumed the role of special advisor to the program while his wife, Karen Weekly, handles all head coaching responsibilities.

RALPH WEEKLY LEAVES LASTING LEGACY
Ralph Weekly retired with a 1,450-481-2 (.750) career record that included stints at Pacific Lutheran (1986-94), Chattanooga (1995-98, 2001) and Tennessee (2002-21). He stepped away from the dugout ranked No. 4 all-time among NCAA softball coaches in career wins.

During Ralph Weekly's tenure at Tennessee, the Lady Vols became one of the nation's premier programs. UT reached the postseason every year since 2004, hosted 16 straight NCAA Regionals, advanced to 11 Super Regionals and made seven trips to the Women's College World Series, placing in the top-three on five occasions, including two national runner-up finishes.

Tennessee captured the 2007 SEC regular-season title under his stewardship and won the SEC Tournament title in 2006 and 2011. Ralph was named SEC Co-Coach of the Year with Karen in 2004 and 2007.

Under the Weeklys, Tennessee and the SEC reached new heights as the Lady Vols became the first SEC team to reach No. 1 in the polls, spending 11 consecutive weeks at the top during the 2007 season. That same season, UT became the first SEC program to reach the best-of-three NCAA Championship Series.

The Weeklys recruited and coached NCAA career strikeout leader Monica Abbott—along with numerous other Lady Vol greats—establishing the framework for an era of success and ascension that led to the construction of Sherri Parker Lee Stadium, which opened in 2008. Between 2004 and 2013, Tennessee put together seven 50-win seasons, including three straight 60-plus-win campaigns in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

The 2005 season was especially sweet, as UT won a program-best 67 games, made its first WCWS appearance and began its streak of hosting NCAA Regionals.

A 2011 NFCA Hall of Fame inductee, Ralph Weekly is tied with Karen Weekly as the second-winningest coach in Tennessee Athletics history with a 949-300-2 (.759) mark, trailing only the legendary Pat Summitt.

The Weeklys' Tennessee players have earned 38 All-America recognitions, 93 All-SEC or SEC All-Freshman selections and 75 NFCA All-Region picks. The list of accolades also includes Abbott and Madison Shipman being named Honda award winners for softball in 2007 and 2014, respectively. In addition, 14 Lady Vols have been selected in the National Pro Fastpitch Draft.

In addition to his time in collegiate softball, Ralph Weekly won a pair of gold medals with Team USA softball in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. He also served as the Director of USA National Teams from 1999-2002, and coached Team USA in 15 international tournaments. His teams won gold medals in all 15 events, including four World Championships and two Pan-American championships. Ralph Weekly also wrote the original High-Performance Plan for USA Softball Olympic Teams which allocated, for the first time ever, financial stipends for Team USA members to train and compete for Olympic and World softball championships.

As Director of USA National Teams – both men and women – Ralph Weekly partnered with then San Diego Padres owner John Moores and the City of Chula Vista, California, to fund and build a softball training and competition site for elite athletes at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center. Team USA softball players trained there for all national and international events from 1998-2008.

Ralph Weekly began his coaching career in the United States Air Force, where he accumulated many championships at a variety of levels. He piloted squads to three All-Armed Forces World Titles, seven state titles at the United States Softball Association (USSA) level and three USSA Western World Championships.

Having retired from the United States Air Force in 1986, Ralph Weekly was the commander of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations at McChord Air Force Base in Washington state in his last duty assignment. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry for outstanding service in the Vietnam War. Weekly is a 1973 graduate of Arizona State University and has completed course work for a master's degree in International Relations from Pacific Lutheran.

"It has been one of the great privileges of my life to coach alongside my husband, Ralph," Karen Weekly said. "He is a winner and a builder, leaving a legacy of outstanding programs and facilities everywhere he's coached. He is a champion for women and has fought for equal opportunities for the young women he's coached at every stop during his career. Not many people get to share this journey with their best friend and life partner – I consider myself incredibly blessed. We are fortunate that he will remain as a special advisor to our program and continue to impart his wisdom and experience to the future of Tennessee softball."

Name	Title	Email Address
Ralph Weekly	Co-Head Coach	rweekly@utk.edu
Karen Weekly	Co-Head Coach	softball@utk.edu
Megan Rhodes Smith	Assistant Coach	Megan.Smith@utk.edu
Marc Weekly	Volunteer Asst. Coach
Melissa Brown	Director of Softball Operations	Melissa.Brown@utk.edu
Hunter King	Video Coordinator	hking21@utk.edu

University of Tennessee Athletics

2020 Softball Coaching Staff

Coaching Staff