Bio

The 2023-2024 season will mark Billy Berry's 17th year as head baseball coach at Tennessee Wesleyan University. Berry's tenure began at Tennessee Wesleyan in 2005 and lasted until he left for a two-year coaching stint at the Baylor School in the summer of 2015. Berry returned to TWU in July of 2017.   Under Berry's direction, the Bulldogs have an overall record of 696-230-1 and have posted an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) record of 315-64. In his 18 seasons as a head coach on the college level, Berry has accumulated a 742-287-1 overall record. 

In 2010 and 2011, he helped to lead the program to a long-time goal of making it to the Avista NAIA College World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. The Bulldogs reached Lewiston by winning the Columbus, Ga., Opening Round Championship in 2010.  In 2011 they repeated the feat by winning the Paducah, Ky., Opening Round Championship. In 2012 and 2019, the Bulldogs won in the Kingsport, Tenn., Bracket to advance to the Avista NAIA College World Series in Lewiston, where they won NAIA National Championships in both years.  In 2007 the Bulldogs reached two milestones by becoming the first team in Appalachian Conference history to go through the regular season unbeaten (18-0). In that same year, the team broke the previous school record for wins (46) and tied the record in 2010, but were able to surpass that in 2012 with 53 wins.  The 2019 club set a new mark for wins in a season with 56.

During the 2021 season, Berry led the team to a 53-6 overall regular-season record and 26-4 record in the AAC. The 53 wins were the most in the NAIA during the 2021 season and were tied for the second-most in program history. The six losses represented a program record for the least amount of losses in a completed season while the team won 50 or more games for the second consecutive completed season and the third time under Berry.  Berry also led the team to the AAC Regular-Season and Tournament Titles, the 19^th straight season the team has won one of those titles. The tournament title was the 13^th in program history. The team also qualified for their 12^th consecutive NAIA Baseball Opening Round. Berry was named the AAC Coach of the Year in 2021.

Over his previous 13 years, Coach Berry has led the Bulldogs to eleven of twelve AAC regular-season championships as well as eleven AAC tournament finals with nine AAC tournament titles in 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, and 19.  The Bulldogs appeared in either the Region XII or Opening Round Championship final game in ten of the last twelve seasons coming away with the Region XII title in 2006 and Opening Round Championships in 10, 11, 12, and 19. With the wins in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2019  the Bulldogs made appearances in the Avista NAIA World Series. Berry was named AAC Coach of the Year eight times in 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 13, 14, and 15.  Region XII Coach of the Year three times in 06, 07, and 08. NAIA Regional Coach of the Year in 10, 11, 12, 19, and for the efforts of those teams Coach Berry was awarded the TBCA Small College Coach of the Year award in those seasons also.  In 2012 and 2019 Berry was named the ABCA/Diamond Sports Company NAIA Coach of the Year. For his efforts over the last 12 years, Berry was inducted into the Tennessee Wesleyan University Hall of Fame in the fall of 2015.

Berry and his staff continue to maintain a high level of recruiting.  Since his arrival in 2006, TWU has seen 72 former Bulldogs move on to the professional ranks. 80 players have been named to the All-Conference First Team with 10 of those players being named AAC Player of the Year, six players named AAC Pitcher of the Year, and three players being named AAC Newcomer of the Year. The Bulldogs have had countless Region XII selections and NAIA Honorable Mention All-Americans including eight first-team All-Americans and seven second-team All-American selections. Coach Berry also coached the program's first-ever NAIA National Player of the Year, and the first-ever and second-ever ABCA/Rawlings NAIA Gold Glove winners in program history. 

Coach Berry attended Bluefield College where he was a three-time First Team All-Conference selection and in October of 2009 Coach Berry was inducted into the Bluefield College Hall of Fame. After receiving his B.S. degree in physical education in 1998, he served two seasons as an assistant at his alma mater Mills Godwin High School.  In 1999 Berry helped lead the Eagles to a Virginia High School League State Championship. The following two seasons Berry was an assistant at J.R. Tucker High School. In 2002 Berry helped to lead the Tigers to a runner-up finish in the Virginia High School League State Championship. In the summer of 2002 Berry lead West End Post 361 to a Division 5 district title, the Virginia American Legion State championship, and within one game of the American Legion World Series.

In 2003 Berry was named an assistant coach at Bluefield College. Berry a former player and graduate of Bluefield was named the Head Baseball Coach in the summer of 2004. He remained at Bluefield for the next two seasons before accepting the baseball job at Tennessee Wesleyan. In his two-year stint at Bluefield, he had an overall record of 46-57 with a conference record of 22-31. The Rams broke the school record for wins in his first season going 25-29, ending the season with one of his players moving on to play professionally.

In his twenty-plus years of coaching either as an assistant or head coach, Berry has seen numerous former players move on to professional baseball. He wants to continue to help young men use baseball as an avenue to get their education, continue on the Bulldog baseball success, and have kids that represent the school, their families, and the program with pride.

Berry, a native of Richmond, Virginia is married to the former Jacqueline Walker.  They reside in Riceville and have three children Brady, Brooks, and Brynlee.