Now in his 13th season in Cookeville, Acheson is looking for last year's young Golden Eagle squad to mature into a contender for both the OVC regular season title and return to the league's tournament and make a run for the crown.

 

Acheson has displayed his wealth of knowledge as well as an unprecedented work ethic in order to improve the Tech program — and its student-athletes — each and every day. With 760 career wins to his name, Acheson knows what it takes to go above and beyond expectations and to maintain high standards. He takes pride in everything his team does, both on and off the field, as he ensures his teams also stay committed to academics and community service.

 

Known for his winning traditions on the field, Acheson has also shown his off-the-field character time and time again. He is a firm believer in helping the community, and each year his team takes part in several community service projects ranging from helping with food drives to building a new home with Habitat for Humanity.

 

Acheson’s commitment to academics is evident annually as twice in the past four years his squad was awarded the National Fastpitch Coaches Association highest academic honor for Division I. Tech softball ranked first on the list of the “Girls Got Game” Top Ten All-Academic Teams with a team GPA of 3.540 in 2008, and last year raised that to an incredible 3.61 mark. His 2009 squad also displayed academic prowess, ranking fourth in the nation with a 3.509 team GPA, and his 2010 team also cracked the top-10 ranking seventh in team GPA with a mark of 3.514.

That sensational performance in the classroom earned the team a proclamation and recognition from the State of Tennessee House of Representative and Senate.

 

Acheson has coached five CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and 12 Academic All-District players. He has also had 125 players named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, which is presented annually to student-athletes who have at least a 3.25 GPA.

 

Prior to his arrival at Tech, Acheson was head coach at Wisconsin-Parkside and had 13 players named All-American. His teams were named an Academic Top Ten Team all six of his seasons at Parkside by the NFCA and ranked as high as third in Division II in 1997.

 

Acheson has a record of 480-320-1 at Tennessee Tech and is only the fourth coach in Tech athletics history with 400 career wins. As a two-time OVC Coach of the Year (2003 and 2006), he has led the Golden Eagles to four regular season titles as well as five OVC tournament championships. His teams have also participated in an NCAA play-in game in 2001, and played four times in the NCAA Regionals (Texas 2003, Georgia 2005, Knoxville 2006, Tuscaloosa 2007).

 

Since his arrival, the Golden Eagles have used a combination of strong non-conference competition and a tough league schedule to be a force at the national level annually.

The following year, his team was ranked number one in the national Division II polls from the second week until the final poll. That team finished 64-6-1 overall, won the program’s first Great Lakes Valley Conference title and earned a return trip to the NCAA tournament where it claimed seventh place.

 

In 1997, Parkside reached new heights under Acheson, compiling its second-straight 60-win season (62-10), repeated as GLVC champs and placed second in the national tournament. In 1998, his team compiled a 40-20 overall record, including a 22-7 mark in conference match-ups, while playing only seven home games.

 

In addition to his work on the field, Tory is a frequent speaker at camps and clinics throughout the Midwest and Southeast, including the NCAA Yes Clinic at the NCAA national championships. He has been involved with player development through summer camps and clinics, reaching more than 1,000 young players each year.

 

A native of Dubuque, Iowa, Tory earned both his bachelor’s degree in secondary education and his master’s degree from UW-Milwaukee. After nine seasons as head softball coach at Whitnall (Wis.) High School, he was named softball coach at Parkside in 1993. He also served as facilities/program manager for the athletic department as well as associate professor for five years.

 

Acheson and his staff take great pride in their facilities, which they have made improvement to every season. Last year, he built an obstacle course for use by student-athletes to hone their physical skills and fitness. He also recycled seats removed from the Hooper Eblen Center and attached them to the bleachers at the softball field to provide a more comfortable seating area for fans. Other renovations from years past include two decks atop either dugout that provide better viewing areas for patrons, and a seating deck in left field.

 

Tory's wife, Terry, has served as his assistant coach throughout his career. The couple has one grown son, Chuck, who assists in variuos aspects of the softball program.