Nate Headley - Baseball Coach - University of Tennessee Athletics

Nate Headley

Title:
Director of Baseball Operations

After spending his first two seasons at Tennessee as the team's volunteer assistant coach, Nate Headley has moved over to the director of baseball operations position for the 2010 campaign.

Nate Headley

His primary responsibilities will include managing all baseball camps, oversight of student managers, serving as an academic liaison to the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center and assistance with on-campus recruiting.

In his previous position as the volunteer assistant coach, Headley worked with the Vols' outfielders and assisted with hitting instruction. Prior to joining the UT staff, he gained experience coaching youth baseball and working as a major league scout.

Headley's primarily all-freshmen outfield exceeded expectations in 2008. The true-freshman trio of centerfielder Kentrail Davis, right fielder Josh Liles and left fielder P.J. Polk combined to account for 28.8 percent of the team's hits, 26.8 percent of the team's runs and 33.6 percent of the club's RBI. In addition, the trio was responsible for 18 of the team's 55 stolen bases and 25 of the team's home runs (37.3 percent).

Davis finished the season as the team leader in nine offensive categories and earned second-team All-SEC honors while also being unanimously named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Polk joined Davis on the SEC All-Freshman team.

Under Headley's watchful eye, the talented trio continued to develop in 2009, culminating in Davis being selected in the supplemental first round of the MLB draft after finishing his sophomore campaign with a .308 batting average and nine home runs. The three sophomores were also tremendous defensively, combining for just four errors all season, while collecting seven outfield assists and a stellar .984 fielding percentage.

Immediately prior to joining UT head coach Todd Raleigh's staff for the 2008 season, Headley spent more than two years working at Knoxville Yard Baseball Academy. He was the head coach of the Yard's 16-Under team that won the 2007 World Wood Bat National Association national championship in East Cobb, Ga. Four of his players from the Yard were selected in the 2007 MLB draft. A total of 16 players he instructed at the Yard were awarded NCAA Division I scholarships, and 14 other players were awarded Division II or junior college scholarships.

In 2001 and 2002, he served as an assistant with the Colorado Springs Bulldogs 17-Under team. While there, he coordinated team practice sessions, directed hitting, pitching and fielding clinics and also coached first and third base.

His younger brother, Chase, was a baseball letterman at Tennessee from 2004-05 and earned All-America and All-SEC acclaim as a third baseman on the Vols' 2005 College World Series team. Chase now plays for the San Diego Padres.

Headley received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Colorado State in 2003 and earned a master's in sport management from Tennessee in 2005.

THE NATE HEADLEY FILE

Full Name: Nathan Campbell Headley

Born: Feb. 25, 1981

Hometown: Fountain, Colo.

Education: Bachelor of Science - Accounting (Colorado State University, 2003); Master of Science - Sport management (University of Tennessee, 2005)

Playing Experience: Colby (Kan.) Community College, 1999 (Third Baseman, Pitcher)

Coaching Experience: Assistant coach for Colorado Springs Bulldogs 17-Under (2001-02); Head coach for Knoxville Yard 16-Under (2007); Volunteer assistant coach at Tennessee (2008-09); Director of Operations at Tennessee (2010-present)