Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced Friday that Lady Vols softball head coach Karen Weekly has signed a contract extension that will keep her at the helm of the program through the 2030 season.
A 30-year collegiate head coaching veteran with 1,355 career victories, Weekly will enter her 25th season leading Tennessee in 2026. Weekly currently ranks third among active head coaches in wins and ninth all-time in Division I history.
“Karen has established a championship program in every area, and we are thrilled to have her coaching for the long term on Rocky Top,” said White. “Competitive excellence is one of the core values of our athletics department, and Karen truly embodies this principle. We look forward to continuing our pursuit of titles under her dynamic leadership.”
Since her arrival in Knoxville, Weekly has guided Tennessee to 20 consecutive NCAA Regionals, 14 Super Regional appearances and nine trips to the Women’s College World Series. The Lady Vols have finished in the top three nationally on seven occasions, highlighted by two runner-up finishes.
Under her direction, UT has claimed six SEC titles, including back-to-back regular season crowns in 2023 and 2024. The Lady Vols also captured the 2023 SEC Tournament championship, marking the first time in program history that Tennessee won both the regular season and tournament titles in the same year.
Over the past three seasons, Tennessee has won 142 games and advanced to the national semifinals at the WCWS in 2023 and 2025.
“Ralph and I came to Tennessee because they invested in and valued women’s athletics more than anyone in the country,” Weekly said. “Entering my 25th season, the commitment to women is better than ever. We are truly the Everything School. I am privileged to coach at a university where every program and athlete matters. I cannot adequately express my gratitude for the leadership provided by Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White, Chancellor Donde Plowman, and President Randy Boyd. I am a Lady Vol for life!”
Weekly has coached some of the sport’s brightest stars, recruiting and developing talents such as NCAA career strikeout leader Monica Abbott and Honda Award winners Abbott (2007) and Madison Shipman (2014). Star Karlyn Pickens has thrived under her leadership, earning SEC Freshman of the Year, back-to-back SEC Pitcher of the Year honors and consensus first-team All-America recognition in 2024 and 2025. Overall, her players have collected 45 All-America honors, 107 All-SEC or SEC All-Freshman selections and 86 NFCA All-Region nods, while 20 Lady Vols have gone on to play professionally.
The 2018 NFCA Hall of Fame inductee owns more victories than any coach in Tennessee Athletics history, compiling a 1,132-357-2 record (.760) with the Lady Vols. Weekly’s teams have produced seven 50-win seasons and three consecutive 60-plus-win campaigns from 2005 to 2007, while helping establish Sherri Parker Lee Stadium as one of the premier venues in college softball.
