{
  "id": 2128687,
  "title": "Megan Rhodes Smith named National Assistant Coach of the Year finalist",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/megan-rhodes-smith-named-national-assistant-coach-of-the-year-finalist",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-20T12:00:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/megan-rhodes-smith-named-national-120008309.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Megan Rhodes Smith, the associate head coach and pitching coach for the Tennessee softball team, has been named as one of 25 finalists for the prestigious 2026 D1 Softball National Assistant Coach of the Year award. The Southeastern Conference, in which Tennessee competes, is represented by 10 of these finalists. Since taking over the pitching duties in 2021, Tennessee's pitchers have collectively achieved an impressive 13 no-hitters and four perfect games. The 2023 season was particularly noteworthy, with three no-hitters, including one perfect game, and the 2026 season saw five no-hitters. Erin Nuwer, Sage Mardjetko, and Karlyn Pickens all contributed to this pitching mastery, each recording one no-hitter, with Nuwer and Mardjetko also sharing in another. Under Smith's guidance, the Lady Vols have produced a 20-game winner in four out of the last six seasons, with two such standout performances in 2024. Notably, Pickens, who was named two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year and 2025 Softball America Pitcher of the Year, has been a 20-game winner from 2024-25. In 2026, Mardjetko, Pickens, and Nuwer each posted 15 victories, solidifying their status as dominant forces on the mound. Since 2021, Tennessee pitchers have earned seven NFCA All-America honors, with six of those selections coming in first-team recognition.",
  "summary": "Megan Rhodes Smith named 2026 National Assistant Coach of the Year finalist.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}