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 Will
Atkinson, enters his second season as head coach of the Tigers
and third overall associated with the UWA program.
Atkinson
comes to West Alabama from Lambuth University in
Jackson, Tenn., where he served as the head softball
coach for six seasons.
Atkinson orchestrated a 29-29 record in
his first season at UWA. The 29 wins posted by the
Tigers is the most in the program's laurels since the
1997 season. The Red and White concluded the 2008
season by knocking off No. 2 Alabama in Huntsville, 6-5
at the UWA Softball Complex in Livingston. UWA's
Emily White and Valisha Fincher earned Gulf South
Conference weekly awards while Brittany McGee tossed
UWA's first perfect game in the history of UWA Softball.
The Tigers placed seven players on the All-GSC East Team
in 2008.
Coach Atkinson earned
Mid-South Conference Co-Coach of the Year honors in 2005
and was recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches
Association as a member of the Easton Victory Club for
reaching the 100 career win milestone during the 2005
season.
Atkinson, who works
extensively with catchers and infielders, coached 31 All
Mid-South Conference players, 20 Academic All Mid-South
Conference players, four NAIA All-Region XI players,
three Lambuth University Female Athletes of the Year
(2004, 2005, 2006), one Mid-South Conference Female
Scholar Athlete of the Year (2006), and three NFCA
Academic All-Americans during his tenure as head coach.
Following a
third-place finish in the NAIA Region XI playoffs as a
player for the Lambuth Eagles baseball team, the
Madison, Ala. native made the transition from player to
coach when he accepted the second assistant position on
the Lambuth baseball staff in the fall of 1997. After
serving as the second assistant for two years, Atkinson
was named the first assistant in 1999. During that
season, Atkinson helped guide the Eagles baseball team
to the NAIA Region XI Finals, and upon completion of the
2000 season was named the head softball coach at Lambuth
University. He also served as the Sports Information
Director for 17 intercollegiate teams at Lambuth
University from 1999-2005.
A
1999 graduate of Lambuth University with a Bachelor of
Arts Degree in English, Atkinson is married to the
former April Collins of Jackson, Tenn., and they have
one daughter, Neely (3).
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