NCAA rule change allows additional coach in several sports. Here's who Tennessee hired for women's teams

Tennessee athletics announced a number of assistant coaching hires Friday with an NCAA rule change going into effect Saturday.

The NCAA Division I Council voted to eliminate the voluntary coach designation across Division I and include those coaches within a new limit for countable coaches in each of the applicable sports.

The number of countable coaches in baseball, softball and others increased to four in total. The Council rejected the proposal for increasing the number to five coaches in those sports.The coaches who were in volunteer roles will now be in position to be school employees, receive salary and benefits and be able to recruit off campus.

Men's and women's basketball can add up to two assistant coaches. These additional coach(es) can engage in coaching activities but are not allowed recruit off campus.

Here's who filled the new positions for Tennessee women's basketball, soccer, softball and volleyball.

Liza Fruendt, women's basketball assistant coach

Liza Fruendt, who played for Lady Vols coach Kellie Harper at Missouri State from 2014-18, has been the director of recruiting operations at Tennessee for the past two seasons. Fruendt played a role in securing the Lady Vols' past two top-ranked transfer classes. She previously spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

"I am thrilled to elevate Liza to our new assistant coach position," Harper said in a school release. "She has been a valued member of the Lady Vol staff over the last two years and has been a vital component of our recruiting efforts and overall operations. I look forward to working alongside Liza as we continue to elevate our program and pursue our goal of winning championships."

Marty Baker, soccer assistant coach

Marty Baker, a Knoxville native, was hired as an assistant soccer coach to work primarily with goalkeepers. Baker previously spent two seasons at Tennessee, briefly as a graduate manager and then as a volunteer assistant. He spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach at VCU, which won the 2021 Atlantic 10 Championship.

Baker, a Knoxville Catholic High School alum, is a two-time graduate of Tennessee.

"Marty played a major role in the success of our goalkeepers and program in 2017 and 2018, developing UT standout goalkeeper Shae Yanez and helping prepare her for a successful professional career," Tennessee coach Joe Kirt said in a school release. "He's also distinguished himself at VCU, coaching goalkeeper Grace Young to All-Atlantic 10 First Team honors as the Rams claimed a regular season championship in 2021.  Having spent time at UT as a student and on staff, Marty bleeds orange, and his passion for Tennessee is evident in everything he does."

Kate Malveaux, softball assistant coach

Kate Malveaux spent the past two season as a volunteer assistant for Tennessee softball. She joined the staff when her husband, Chris, was hired as a hitting coach for the Lady Vols. Malveaux played a key role in Tennessee's historic success in 2023, working closely with catchers and baserunners. Since her arrival, Tennessee has ranked among the top four in the SEC in stolen bases per game.

She also helped catcher Giulia Koutsoyanopulos transition from the outfield to catcher this season for the first time in her career.

"Kate Malveaux has done an amazing job as our volunteer coach the past two years, so it was an easy decision to elevate her when the new full-time position was added," Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said in a school release. "She is one of the most passionate and energetic people I've ever been around. Her player development skills were clearly evident this year with our catchers, and the work she did with Giulia Koutsoyanopulos was nothing short of phenomenal. Kate makes our program better and our student-athletes are fortunate to have her as a role model."

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Kelsey Campeau, volleyball assistant coach

Kelsey Campeau was a volunteer assistant coach for Tennessee during the 2022 season. Campeau played at UCLA from 2018-21 as a defensive specialist and made three trips to the NCAA Tournament. She now works with Tennessee's servers, serve-receivers and defensive units.

"We are thrilled to announce Kelsey Campeau as a full-time assistant coach with our program," Tennessee coach Eve Rackham Watt said. "There was no doubt she was the best fit for the position, and we feel fortunate that she chose to stay on staff. Working with Kelsey this past year, I was able to see her passion for the sport and a real ability to connect with our student-athletes. Kelsey has already had a positive impact in our gym, and I am looking forward to expanding her role moving forward."

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Here's who Lady Vols teams hired after NCAA coaching rule change