Sometimes, veteran University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball coach Frank Reed wonders if it’s time to put a bow on a legendary career.
The game — more so everything off the field — has changed so much. There was a time Reed could recruit talent to the Scenic City by simply pointing to his success over a 25-year career at UTC, which includes 10 Southern Conference regular-season crowns, 11 SoCon tournament titles and 11 appearances in the NCAA tournament.
This past offseason was another reminder of that shift. The Mocs were coming off a 41-win season and another regular-season title, but Reed knew he would be losing a lot of talent as six of the team’s top 10 hitters were graduating, and soon after the season ended, two-time SoCon Pitcher of the Year Peja Goold entered the transfer portal, ultimately landing at Mississippi State.
Reed entered the offseason with a number of full scholarships to offer but, according to him, there was no money to work with as far as Name, Image and Likeness.
“We brought in 14 kids out of the portal and 14 kids turned down full rides,” said Reed, who topped 800 career wins at UTC earlier this season. “That’s all I’ve got. You’re turning me down for a full ride and we’ve got a great stadium, we’ve got a great school, we’ve got great facilities. How are you turning us down?