Griffith Selected to Take the Helm for Eagles Softball

Waleska, GA - Reinhardt University Softball has found a familiar leader for its softball program. Executive Director of Athletics Jonathan Burton announced Sunday, May 10, that Tanner Griffith has been named the Eagles' head coach, a move that rewards a coach who already helped guide the program through one of its strongest recent stretches.

Griffith spent the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach when Reinhardt advanced to the 2025 NAIA Softball World Series in Columbus, Georgia. He returned as an assistant for the 2025-26 season and was elevated to interim head coach about halfway through the 2026 spring season. Under his interim leadership, the Eagles continued their rise, earning an Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season co-championship and reaching the AAC Tournament championship game. Those results gave Reinhardt clear momentum and showed the program could sustain its standard with Griffith in the dugout.

The new head coach brings deep local ties as well as a player's background in the AAC. A Cherokee County native, Griffith attended Cherokee High School before playing baseball at Truett McConnell University in Cleveland, Georgia. He was a five-year starter there and earned back-to-back Gold Glove awards at second base in the AAC, a résumé that points to the consistency, preparation, and defensive attention to detail he now brings to coaching. Before joining Reinhardt, he also coached travel baseball with ZT Southeast, adding another layer of player-development experience.

At Reinhardt, Griffith steps into the full-time role after already showing he can manage expectations inside a winning program. His background suggests a coach who understands both the demands of competition and the value of steady development over the course of a season. For an Eagles program coming off a conference title share and an AAC Tournament push, the expectation is clear: build on that success and keep Reinhardt in the mix for conference and NAIA championships.

Burton had this to say about keeping Tanner Griffith as the leader for Reinhardt Softball:  "Tanner will be an outstanding addition to our athletic department at Reinhardt. He was put in this interim situation midway through the season and exceeded expectations. What stood out to me during this time was his ability to embrace a head coaching opportunity while providing consistency in practice and game-day preparation. His ability to communicate and lead effectively with his team was something that was notably important. I am fully confident that Tanner will continue to elevate this program, and we are excited to have him join us as our next head coach. "

Griffith is engaged to Audrey Grace, and the couple is planning to marry in July, adding another personal milestone to a spring that now includes Griffith taking charge of Reinhardt softball.