Tennessee head softball coach Karen Weekly announced Monday that Aubrey Leach-Gartner has been promoted from director of player development to assistant coach.
Leach-Gartner spent the past two seasons as the Lady Vols’ director of player development.
“Aubrey is one of the brightest young minds in the game,” Weekly said in a statement. “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,” Weekly continued.
Before becoming director of player development, Leach-Gartner spent three seasons as a graduate assistant while pursuing her juris doctor.
The Lady Vols also recorded 136 wins, made two Super Regional appearances, and reached the semifinals of the 2023 Women’s College World Series while Leach-Gartner was a graduate assistant.
A standout infielder for Tennessee from 2016-19, Leach-Gartner ranks second in program history in runs scored with 253 and career on-base percentage at .503. She was a two-time NFCA All-American, earning first-team honors in 2018 and third-team recognition in 2019.
After her college career, Leach-Gartner signed with Scrap Yard Fast Pitch in 2019 before spending seven seasons competing in Athletes Unlimited. She currently plays professionally for the Carolina Blaze and serves as chairperson of the AUSL Players Executive Committee.
Leach-Gartner also has played internationally for 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 in a statement. “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 Tennessee 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.
Aubrey’s younger twin sisters, Gabby and Alannah, just finished their junior seasons with Tennessee.
