KANSAS CITY, Mo. –Tennessee Wesleyan’s Billy Berry has been named the ABCA-Rawlings NAIA Coach of the Year following the 2026 season that saw the Bulldogs capture their third NAIA World Series title and add another milestone to the program’s well-decorated legacy.
The National Coach of the Year was chosen by the NAIA-BCA Past Presidents Committee and current NAIA-BCA officers from a ballot that includes all Affiliated Conference/CAC/Unaffiliated Group Coach of the Year winners and NAIA World Series participant coaches. The Rawlings NAIA National Coach of the Year is honored at the annual recognition banquet of the NAIA-BCA each January at the ABCA Convention.
Berry guided Tennessee Wesleyan to a 49-15 record and a championship run at the 69th Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. The Bulldogs entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed and went 6-1 throughout the World Series, capping off the season with a record-setting 21-3 victory over No. 1 seed Taylor University on Saturday to bring back the red banner for the third time in program history.
The title-clinching win marked the largest margin of victory in Avista NAIA World Series championship game history. With the win, TWU became the third active NAIA baseball program, and fifth overall, to claim three NAIA National Championships.
The 2026 campaign also marked Tennessee Wesleyan’s sixth consecutive year with at least 40 wins, as the program has reached the 40-win threshold in 11 of the last 12 seasons. In his 19 seasons leading the Bulldogs, Berry has compiled an 837-277 record.
Offensively, Tennessee Wesleyan ranked among the nation’s top teams throughout the season. The Bulldogs led the NAIA with 735 total hits, finished fifth nationally with a .349 team batting average, ranked fourth in RBIs with 538, and led the country with 170 doubles.
The Bulldogs’ pitching staff posted a 4.40 ERA, led by Justin Jackson, who finished the season with 13 wins, a 2.82 ERA, and a nation-leading 108.1 innings pitched.
Following the season, Tennessee Wesleyan garnered four NAIA All-American selections, including one first-team honoree and three second-team honorees.
With another championship season complete, Berry and the Bulldogs add to a program history that now includes three NAIA National Championships.
About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small college athletics programs dedicated to character-driven, education-based athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has balanced high-level competition with holistic student-athlete development through its commitment to The Right Way to Play®. Each year more than 87,000 NAIA student-athletes compete in college athletics, earn over $1.3 billion in financial aid, and pursue opportunities to participate in 30 national championships. naia.org | @NAIA | #TheRightWayToPlay
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