Staff Directory

Megan Rhodes Smith

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:

THE RHODES SMITH FILE

Personal Information

Full Name: Megan Rhodes Smith
Born: Oct. 8, 1985
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
High School: David Lipscomb High School
College: Tennessee, 2008

NFCA Pitcher of the Year

2023 - Ashley Rogers, RHP

All-America Pitchers

Karlyn Pickens, RHP
2025 NFCA First-Team All-American
2024 NFCA First-Team All-American
Payton Gottshall, RHP
2024 NFCA First-Team All-American
Ashley Rogers, RHP
2023 NFCA First-Team All-American
2021 NFCA Second-Team All-American

All-SEC Pitchers

Karlyn Pickens, RHP
2025 SEC Pitcher of the Year
2025 First-Team All-SEC
2024 SEC Pitcher of the Year
2024 First-Team All-SEC
2023 Freshman of the Year
2023 Second-Team All-SEC
Payton Gottshall, RHP
2024 First-Team All-SEC
Ashley Rogers, RHP
2023 First-Team All-SEC
2021 First-Team All-SEC
2019 First-Team All-SEC
Erin Edmoundson, LHP
2022 Second-Team All-SEC

Megan Rhodes appeared in three Women's College World Series as a Lady Vol

Tennessee softball welcomed back "Lady Vol for Life" Megan Rhodes Smith as an assistant coach on June 8, 2020. The 2026 season marks her sixth year as the program's pitching coach. Under her guidance, Tennessee’s pitching staff has grown and developed into one of the nation’s premier units year after year.

Since 2021, the Lady Vols have had a 20-game winning pitcher in four of five seasons with a pair of 20-game winners in 2024. Tennessee has thrown eight no-hitters and four perfect games since Rhodes Smith returned, highlighted by the 2023 season which saw one perfect game and three no-hitters. Additionally, Lady Vol pitchers have garnered five NFCA All-America honors, including four first-team recognitions.

Ace Karlyn Pickens led a young but talented staff in 2025 as UT led Division I in ERA at 1.82. The pitching staff also ranked inside the top-5 in total hits allowed (267), shutouts (20), K-BB ratio (3.58), Ks/7 inn. (8.62) and WHIP (0.99). Pickens finished the season 25-11 with a 1.17 ERA over 226.2 innings pitched. She tallied 306 strikeouts - the first Lady Vol to record 300 Ks since Monica Abbott - and garnered SEC Pitcher of the Year honors for the second time. She was also a consensus first-team All-American and earned Softball America National Pitcher of the Year accolades.

Sophomore Sage Mardjetko was solid in the circle during her first season on Rocky Top as she went 12-2 with a 2.50 ERA over 95.1 innings of work. Freshmen Erin Nuwer and Peyton Tanner provided depth for the pitching staff and showed their ability as Nuwer tossed a no-hitter in her first career start on February 7, while Tanner pitched a perfect game against Delaware State on March 1. Pickens also threw a no-no on March 1 against UT Martin, notching the third no-hitter of her career.

The 2024 season saw the Lady Vols once again boast one of the top pitching staffs in the nation. Tennessee ranked top-5 in Division I in ERA (1.43), total hits allowed (242), shutouts (22), K-BB ratio (4.61), Ks/7 inn. (7.53), WHIP (0.88) and walks allowed/7 inn. (1.63). Karlyn Pickens had a breakout season as she was named a consensus First Team All-American (NFCA, D1, Softball America) and became the second Lady Vol to win SEC Pitcher of the Year. Pickens finished the season with a 22-7 record and an ERA of 1.12. Payton Gottshall was also strong in her final year on Rocky Top, garnering NFCA First Team All-America honors. Gottshall went 20-5 in 2024 with an ERA of 1.37.

In 2023, Tennessee boasted one of the nation's best pitching staffs led by NFCA Pitcher of the Year Ashley Rogers. The staff finished the season with a 1.75 ERA – ranking No. 1 in the SEC and 10th-best in the NCAA. The pitchers also recorded 23 shutouts which tied Auburn for the most in the league and ranked tied for third nationally. The Lady Vols ranked third in the conference and 16th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 3.51.

Rogers led the staff with a 20-1 record and was named NFCA Pitcher of the Year - becoming the first Lady Vol to win the award. Senior Payton Gottshall finished the year 16-2, while Karlyn Pickens was named SEC Freshman of the Year. Rogers also earned NFCA First Team All-America accolades and was named to the All-SEC First Team.

A standout pitcher for the Lady Vols from 2005-08, Smith guided her staff to a 1.80 ERA in her first season as an assistant coach, ranking second in the SEC and ninth in the NCAA. The Lady Vols posted 18 shutouts and touted a 3.65 strikeout-to-walk ratio, both ranking third in the SEC and top-16 in the country.

Smith guided junior Ashley Rogers to second team All-America and first team All-SEC honors in 2021. The Athens, Tennessee, native led the conference in ERA (1.32) and opposing batting average (.132) and was top-7 in the country in both strikeouts (296, 5th NCAA) and wins (26, 7th NCAA).

Prior to her arrival on Rocky Top, Smith spent the 2019-20 season as the head coach at Belmont in her hometown of Nashville.

"Ralph and I are thrilled that Megan Rhodes Smith is returning to Rocky Top to join our coaching staff," said Karen Weekly. "I have watched Megan flourish in her coaching career since she graduated from Tennessee and I believe that she is a rising star in our profession.

"She is a passionate and innovative teacher. She knows what it's like to step into the circle and face the toughest SEC and post-season competition. Megan held herself to the highest standards as a UT student-athlete, both on and off the field, and will expect the same of our pitching staff. Her character is outstanding and the women of Lady Vol Softball will benefit greatly from her mentorship."

Prior to her time with the Bruins, Smith spent six seasons focusing on the development of pitchers and catchers at Lipscomb University and served as the program's associate head coach from 2018-19.

During her tenure at LU, Smith had an immediate and long-lasting impact assisting in the program's recent successes. The Lady Bisons made appearances in the 2019 and 2014 NCAA Regional tournaments after clinching Atlantic Sun tournament titles.

The team saw individuals garner accolades as well, with four pitchers under her guidance earning Atlantic Sun All-Conference honors, thanks to finishing in the conference's top five in strikeouts, earned run average (ERA) and wins. In 2018, the Lady Bisons pitching staff finished the season ranked 23^rd nationally in ERA. Additionally, the corps led the Atlantic Sun in strikeouts in 2016 and 2017.

Before joining the Lipscomb staff, she spent one season at Western Kentucky. During her stint with the Hilltoppers, Emily Rousseau was named the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year and garnered NFCA All-Region accolades, while the team boasted a 43-18 overall record and earned its first at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.

Smith also has previously served as an assistant coach at both Middle Tennessee State and Charleston Southern, helping the latter to its first 30-win season in program history.

A well-known name on Rocky Top, Smith returns to her alma mater ranking third in program history with a 1.77 career ERA, fourth with 726 career strikeouts and tied for fifth with 67 wins. She holds a spot in UT's top 10 in nearly every pitching category.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to return to the University of Tennessee and give back to this incredible program," Smith said. "From the challenges, the successes, the lessons learned, and the amazing people who became part of my life, my time at Tennessee has continued to shape me far past my graduation date."

Smith was part of one of the program's most successful stretch as the Lady Vols reached the Women's College World Series three consecutive years (2005-07) and recorded three 60-plus win seasons in that time and another 50-plus win season in 2008.

Equally as competitive in the classroom, Smith earned SEC Honor Roll distinction for three years, culminating with a 3.80 grade point average. She went on to earn a master's degree in sports studies with a concentration in sports psychology from UT in 2009.