Former Lee University assistant coach Brad Irwin will round out the 2007 softball coaching staff, head coach Frank Reed announced on Monday.
“I am extremely excited to be back at UTC,” Irwin said. “Chattanooga is my home, and UTC is my university. I feel like I’ve spent a large portion of my life associated with UTC in getting both of my degrees here and working here. The talent is here, the community support is here and I’m ready to do my part to help elevate this program to the next level.”
Irwin rejoins the Lady Mocs coaching staff after previously coaching under Ralph and Karen Weekly. He served as team manager for two years before assuming additional administrative and on-the-field responsibilities for two years, beginning during the 1998 season.
“One of our concerns was to pick up right where we left off when Donald [Pickett] left. He’d been with our program for many years and knew exactly what we wanted, and it’s always difficult to replace somebody like that,” softball head coach Frank Reed said. “But with Brad, he still brings the love of this university. He moved away for a while, but he moved back and this is his passion to coach UTC softball.”
He coached for three seasons at Lee, mainly working with hitters and infield. He helped lead the Lady Flames to two national tournament appearances in 2004 and 2006, and helped lead them to a 55-14 record in the 2006 season, finishing seventh nationally in the NAIA National Poll.
In 2004, Irwin and the rest of the Lee softball staff were named the NAIA Softball Coaches Association’s Coaching Staff of the Year, after finishing 33-27 and winning the Region XI Tournament Championship.
He also had a stint in high school softball, coaching in 2000 at Hixson High School.
Irwin graduated in 1999 from UTC with a degree in Sports Administration, and he also received his masters in Secondary Education in 2002. He and his wife Rachel live in Chattanooga.
Irwin replaces Donald Pickett who took the assistant coach position at Memphis.