Coach Ben Tyree is the seventh coach in the history of the program and is a eight-time Coach of the Year selection. Early in his career, the TranSouth Athletic Conference named him the TSAC Coach of the Year twice – 2010, 2011. During the transition from NAIA to NCAA play, the 2012 NCCAA Mid-East Region Coach of the Year went to Tyree. Once Trevecca transitioned to NCAA Division II play, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) continued the trend of naming Tyree the coach of the year. To date he has been recognized five times - 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2021.
Coach Tyree says, "Our goal is to provide an environment that student-athletes are proud to be a part of while they are here on the Hill and especially later as they become Trevecca alum." Â
"We offer an opportunity for young women to pursue a Christian education while playing softball at a high level. Our mission is to help players develop both on and off the field. When their playing career is completed, we intend them to be prepared for life after college and to have had a great career and experience between the lines."
TYREE FILE (history)
First Season | 2008-2009
465-199-2 Overall
NAIA Nationals (2010, 2011) NCCAA Nationals (2012-2013)
212-62-1 Conference (143-45 G-MAC)
TSAC Champs (2010, 2011), NCCAA Midwest Region (2012), Great Midwest Champs (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021)
NCAA Division II Region (2015, 2016, 2021)
49-26 Postseason Â
Tyree is responsible for nearly half of Trevecca's all-time softball wins (.491%) in the program's 30-year history.
Tyree has led four teams to the national tournament. He led the 2011 and 2012 team to the NCCAA National Championships, finishing 3rd in 2011. He also took two teams to the NAIA National Championships, making it to the elite eight both years.
TYREE ERA AWARDS | NCAA D2/GREAT MIDWEST (All-time Awards / Honors)
2021-2022 Â
D2CCA Midwest All-Region –  one (1) – Second team: Anna Bennett
Great Midwest All-Conference Five (5) - First Team: Sydney McCormick, Anna Bennett, Lenna Robinson, Ashlan Sensing - Third Team: Kendall AndrewsÂ
Great Midwest Pitcher / Player of the Week – Pitcher: Ashlan Sensing (April 11, February 14), Rylee Veron (March 15), Alex Behnke (February 24) – Player: Kaylee Adams (March 23), Malone Thrift (February 24), Anna Bennett (May 3)
TYREE ERA | YEAR-BY-YEAR (history)
2022 News
The Trojans capped another successful season, reaching the Great Midwest Finals, despite entering the postseason tournament as the fourth seed. Trevecca entered the postseason on a six-game winning streak, their longest of the year. Over those six games, the Trojans outscored their opponents 42-5. TNU had two five-game win streaks earlier in the season. The Trojan's offense stepped up this season hitting .300 and scoring 75 more than 2021. The lineup regained some of their pop, hitting ten more home runs than last year. The Trojans outscored opponents 282-170, a +112 differential this season. The Trojan pitching staff produced 12 shutouts and a no-hitter (Alex Behnke). The 137 stolen bases are an NCAA Era record at Trevecca. The previous record was 96 in 2019. The 170 walks is a new Trevecca NCAA Era best, topping the 145 in 2016.
Junior Anna Bennett had a breakout season, earning first-team all-conference and D2CCA Midwest All-Region honors. Bennett set a new NCAA Era doubles record with 18.
2021 News
The Trojans produced another winning season, extending their run to 21 consecutive seasons with a winning record. Meaning, Tyree has produced a winning record every season at the helm. Well respected after their COVID shortened 2020 season, the Trojans began the 2021 campaign as Great Midwest favorites to win the league and ranked No. 10 in the NFCA preseason poll. Led by seven seniors, including All-American MaKray Odom and Raygn Hall, the Trojans produced a 27-14 overall record with a Great Midwest league-winning 14-4 mark. Not only did the Trojans win in March, they hardly ever conceded runs during their 10-game winning streak which truly spanned from February and April for a total of 13 games. In March, however, Trevecca outscored opponents 66-19, ended three contests with the run-ruled (five innings), and shot up the Great Midwest standings. After a modest five-game winning stretch in April, the Trojans headed to the Great Midwest tournament where they fell to Ohio Dominican University in the championship game. Resume in hand, the Trojans played on, however, and opened the NCAA Midwest Region with a familiar foe in Hillsdale College. After disbanding the Chargers, the Trojans were eventually ousted from competition once again by the ODU Panthers. Tyree was named Great Midwest Coach of the Year and six of his Trojans were named to Great Midwest All-Conference teams. Sadly, the career of Trojan legend MaKray Odom came to an end. Odom earned a spot on the NFCA All-Region and All-American teams to conclude her impressive career. Â
2020 News
Although the 2020 softball season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign was 18 games into a historic ride. Though the Trojans were young (11 freshmen), they did not show it. Their eight-game winning streak to open the season allowed them a place in the national conversation when they became the first-ever Trevecca team to be ranked during the regular season, registering at #19 when the February 19 NFCA Coaches Poll was announced. The eight-game streak was briefly interrupted when #1 Young Harris College defeated the Trojans 8-3. However, after a strong showing against the nation's top team and a 9-3 defeat of Columbus State the next day, the Trojans boosted six spots to #13 in the next NFCA Coaches Poll. After the weather delayed the Trojans scheduled home opener versus Union, the Trojans had two full weeks off before entering the annual PFX The Spring Games. Although they went 15 days without playing, the Trojans moved up to as high as #10 in the NFCA rankings before playing in Florida. The Trojans did not wait long to further enter the record books in Florida as they won Tyree his 400th career game with a 4-0 win over Fairmont State in the week's first contest. The rest of the week saw five more wins and two losses to leave the Trojans at #11 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll of the season before athletics were put on a halt. Through 12 seasons at Trevecca, Tyree has collected a 405-168-2 overall record with a 115-33 G-MAC and 184-50-1 All-Conference record, making him responsible for nearly half of Trevecca's softball wins (.475%) in the program's 28-year history.Â
2019 News
Coach Tyree concluded his 11th season as the head coach at Trevecca with a 390-165-2 overall record. His teams are 115-33 in G-MAC play and are 184-50-1 all-time in conference play. In addition, he is 41-20 in the postseason competition at Trevecca which includes seven conference and regional championships. In 2019, the Trojans won 31 games further extending Tyree's total of 30 or more games won in a season to eight times in 11 seasons. The Trojans produced a 31-16 overall record with a 17-5 showing in G-MAC play. Despite clinching the number two seed in the G-MAC tournament, the Trojans lost two games being eliminated by Findlay and Malone. Tyree has held a winning record in all 11 seasons he's been the Trevecca head coach, extending the program record to 19-consecutive winning seasons.
2018 News
Trevecca won 30 or more games for the seventh time in the Tyree era. The Trojans compiled a 30-17-1 overall record with a 15-9 mark in G-MAC play falling to Ohio Dominican in the G-MAC Championship. Tyree has had a winning record for all ten seasons he's been at Trevecca which extended the overall program streak to 18-consecutive winning seasons in 2018.
2017 News
The season saw Trevecca win 28 games on the way to its fifth straight winner's bracket finals during the G-MAC tournament. It is the ninth straight year the Trojans have produced a winning record and then proceeded to open the conference tournament by knocking off the top seed 9-0. The nine-consecutive winning seasons extends the overall program streak to 17-consecutive winning seasons.
2016 News
Tyree led the Trojans to their fourth-straight Great Midwest Conference and regular-season championship with 23 wins in conference play and once again going undefeated in the conference tournament. In addition, Coach Tyree accepted his fourth straight G-MAC Coach of the Year award. Through the first four seasons of G-MAC, the Trojans had never lost a G-MAC tournament game and had four consecutive regular-season and tournament championships. By winning the conference championship, Trevecca became the first-ever Great Midwest team to earn the NCAA D2 Automatic Qualifier for the NCAA D2 Midwest Region tournament. It is the second-consecutive NCAA D2 Midwest Region appearance and region championship game appearance for the Trojans. Trevecca beat the host and top-seeded Indianapolis on its way the title game before ending the season with 45 wins.Â
2015 News
Not only did Tyree lead the Trojans to their third straight Great Midwest regular season and tournament championship but guided the team to the first NCAA Division II Midwest Region Championships. It is a first for Trevecca or any team from the Great Midwest. The team collected 40 wins on its way to the 2015 NCAA D2 Midwest Championship game. In reaching the championship game, the Trojans became the first Great Midwest team to win a postseason regional contest and the first to reach a regional championship game. Tyree was selected as the Great Midwest Coach of the Year for the third straight year with a 20-1 conference record and undefeated in tournament play.
2014 News
Tyree was named the Great Midwest Coach of the year after leading his troops to their second-consecutive Great Midwest regular season and tournament championship. Coach Tyree has earned the Great Midwest Coach of the Year two years in a row. The team finished 14-4 in conference play and swept through the postseason tournament with a 4-0 record.
The Trojans went 26-4 in the first season of Great Midwest regular season play and 34-4 when you add in the conference tournament games. The 2014 Trojans finished 36-10 overall.
2013 News
Trojans held a 29-12 record, including a perfect 12-0 mark in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.Â
2012 News
Tyree’s Trojans were 38-16-1 and won the 2012 NCCAA Mid-East regional to advance to the 2012 NCCAA Championships. Trevecca finished third overall at Nationals. He was rewarded with his third coach of the year award when he was selected the 2012 NCCAA Mid-East Region Coach of the year.
2011 News
Tyree led the program to the TranSouth regular season and tournament titles for the fifth time in six seasons. He received the TranSouth Coach of the Year award for the second time for his efforts. The team produced a 48-4 overall record, which included a 29-1 mark in TranSouth action. TNU finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in the NAIA national rankings, the highest-ranking ever achieved by any Trevecca team. The Trojans advanced to the NAIA National Tournament for the fifth time in six years. This was the last year that Trevecca competed in the TranSouth Athletic Conference and as a member of the NAIA.
2010 News
The team followed up the successful first season in the Tyree era with a conference championship and a trip to the NAIA Nationals. Tyree earned his first coach of the year honor following a 44-17 season and an 11-3 run through the TranSouth Athletic Conference.
2009 News
In Tyree’s first season the Trojans went 21-19 overall and 8-6 in the TranSouth. The team went 0-2 in the conference tournament. The winning season was a building block for what was to come.
TROJAN COACHING HISTORY (Get More History)
Lynn Slonecker was the first coach, leading the team for the first season in 1991-1992. The team was 22-20. Renae Kirkhart led the program for five seasons. Kirkhart was the TCAC coach of the year in 1996 with a 17-13 league record. Paul Wiggs was an assistant for Kirkhart and led the team as the head coach for the 1997-1998 season. Michael Johnson led the program during the 1998-1999 season with Rick Underwood. Another assistant joined the coaching staff that year, Angela Sullivan. Sullivan became the head coach the following season in 1999-2000. She led the program for five years and was the coach of the year three times. She led the team to its first region tournament, three times. Ernie Reynolds succeeded Angela Sullivan and led the program four for the season, beginning with the 2004-2005 season. Reynolds led the team to the first conference title in his first season and advanced to the region all four seasons. In his last three seasons, Reynolds led the program to the conference and region championships and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament. His records are impressive, but his 32-15 postseason record is one for the record books. His last two teams won more than 50 games. His last team was 53-9 and four of those losses came in the postseason.
TYREE BEFORE TREVECCA
Before joining the Trevecca staff, Tyree was a non-faculty softball coach at Page High and Brentwood High School in Williamson County where his team’s overall record was 98-29.Â
In addition, he and coached the Brentwood Blues travel team from 1995-2004. He had more than 350 victories coaching travel ball, a World Series runner-up finish, and five Top-10 finishes. On the state level, he had eight softball State Championships and two runner-up teams. More than 20 of his players earned college scholarships at the junior college, NAIA, and NCAA levels.
Coach Tyree also worked several seasons coaching the Silver Bullets, a women's 23-U Fastpitch team in Middle Tennessee. He served as an instructor at several University of Tennessee Softball Camps and various other camps in Middle Tennessee.
Tyree spent 30 years as a basketball referee, working both the high school and college ranks from 1976 to 2005. He was selected to work postseason tournaments on the high school (TSSAA) and college (NAIA, TranSouth Conference, Junior College) levels. He has served as president of the Middle-Tennessee Basketball Officials Association and was named Official of the Year.
Coach Tyree is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, earning a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. While at MTSU, he played basketball for Coach Jimmy Earle and is a member of the Varsity Club.Â
He graduated from Nashville's John Overton High School, where he played varsity basketball and tennis and served as team captain in basketball.Â
After graduating from college, Coach Tyree worked for the Tennessee Department of Transportation for forty years before retiring in 2015 as a Manager in the Project Development Division.Â
Coach Tyree and his wife, Susan, reside in Brentwood and have two daughters, Tracy, and Allison along with one grandchild. They attend Concord Road Church of Christ in Brentwood.
