Sewanee: University of the South

Sewanee Tigers Athletics
735 University Ave. Sewanee, TN 37383

Division 3 Tennessee Southeast

Private Small Developing team

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Coaches

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Merritt Yackey

Merritt Yackey enters his eighth season with the Sewanee softball program.

"Coach Yackey brings outstanding experience and enthusiasm to our softball program," said Mark Webb. "I am confident that our softball team will make great strides under his leadership."

Yackey comes to the Domain after spending the previous seven seasons as the head softball coach at Lees-McRae College.

Yackey took the reins of the Bobcat softball program in the summer of 2009. Over the last seven seasons, a number of players were selected as Conference Carolinas All-Conference Team. In 2011, Yackey was named Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year. During that season, the Bobcats finished second in the Conference Carolinas Tournament, losing 2-1 to Erskine College in the title contest.

Overall, during Yackey's tenure, Lees-McRae won 95 games.

"I am grateful to Sewanee, Mark Webb and the Athletic Department for the opportunity to serve as the next head softball coach," said Yackey. "My tenure at Lees-McRae has prepared me well for this new challenge. I look forward to coaching the young ladies on the roster and recruiting a new class to re-energize the softball program and work toward competing for a conference championship as was accomplished a decade ago."

His 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 teams were awarded the Sportsmanship Award. That award is given using a voting process implemented by Conference Carolinas Athletic Directors, which calls for a coach and student-athlete representative to vote together and evaluate the sportsmanship exhibited by opponents' players, coaches and fans during the regular season.

In April of 2013, Yackey was awarded the Edgar Tufts Humanitarian Service Award for service in community and campus at Lees-McRae College.

In addition, Yackey has served as the Associate Director of Athletics for the past five years. These duties include scheduling all athletic travel, personnel management, assistance with fundraising efforts and special projects within the Bobcat athletic department and its 17 intercollegiate sports.

Yackey brings over 25 years of experience in higher education. He was Director of Development/Special Giving at Albion College from 1988-1993, Director of Development at Converse College from 1995-1996, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving at Catawba College from 1997-2000, Special Assistant to the President/Campaign Director at Limestone College from 2000-2002, Vice President for Development at Mansfield University from 2002-2004 and Vice President for Advancement at Lees-McRae College from 2004-2007. Yackey also served as the head softball coach at local Avery High School in 2008 and 2009.

Yackey is a graduate of Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio.

Additionally, he earned a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University.

He and his wife have three children, Millicient, Morgan and Brock, two son-in-laws, John and Kyle, and two grandchildren, Mitt and Aubrey.

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Kaitlin Bradley

Kaitlin Bradley enters her second season with the softball program at the University of the South in 2024.

In her first year with the program, she was a part of the coaching staff of the year by the Southern Athletic Association (SAA), as the Tigers recorded their first double-digit win total since 2005.

On the diamond, the program set new marks in batting average (.262), hits (253), extra base hits (53), runs batted in (111), total runs scored (127), stolen bases (65) and earned run average (4.87).

Bradley comes to the Domain after spending the 2022 season as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Bryan College (Tenn.). She was a part of a regular season championship team with the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) thanks to a 24-4 record in league play.

Recording a 31-18 record, the team qualified for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Tournament, where they picked up a win in the opening round.

Bradley coached four players to the All-AAC team including Annalise Wood, who was the Player, Pitcher and Freshman of the Year in the league.

Before joining the college ranks as a coach, she served as an assistant coach at Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga in from 2018-21. She was an assistant for the basketball program for four years and was a softball assistant coach in 2021.

The softball program made it to the state championships that season and finished as a finalist.

She is a certified personal trainer, speed and agility coach and strength and conditioning coach.

A former product of Berean Christian School ISP in Knoxville, she played intercollegiate athletics at Bryan, was a three-year letter winner in softball and earned two with the women's basketball team.

Bradley graduated from Bryan College in 2017 with a degree in Exercise Health Science with a Biblical Studies minor.