Former SEC Player of the Year India Chiles: New Head Coach Looking to Raise Emory Softball to New Heights

“I’m competing at a high level. ‘Division III’ means nothing to me.”

Strong and straightforward words from the newest head coach of Emory University’s softball program, India Chiles.

Her name is synonymous with dedication and excellence in the world of softball, from earning the 2007 SEC Player of the Year title during her time as a Lady Vol, owning and operating SlapperNation, LLC, returning to Rocky Top for a brief stint as the Volunteer Assistant Coach, serving as the National Account Manager for BSN Sports, and also managing to coach the extremely talented Fury Platinum National 18u team—India Chiles has proven herself to be a formidable force in the softball world.

When India was first approached to be a candidate for the position, she wasn’t even looking for a job, as she was relatively stacked writing contracts for BSN Sports and coaching an incredibly competitive club ball team.

However, as of today, she can’t imagine herself anywhere else.

“When Emory calls—you answer,” commented the new head coach. “I met with the athletic director and learned about the opportunity. It was very competitive, enough that it didn’t take me long to choose not only this athletic program but this university as a whole. I didn’t find it, it found me.”

When the offer came, she says she didn’t have to take long to decide.

“It was so easy for me to say yes when they came for me,” India shared. “I’d never been inside the walls, but as a kid from the southeast, I knew what Emory was. Everyone’s ears perked up when the prestigious institution came into conversation, but I never knew what the ‘Ooos and Ahhs’ were about prior to sitting for the interview.”

The university’s reputation precedes it, which was enough for India to have a conversation with Emory’s athletic department.

“Everything that I was asking for in a Division I coaching position was readily available for me at Emory—the amenities, the facilities, and the athletic prowess.”

With Emory being the most prestigious university in the heavily talent-saturated Atlanta area, India is excited to contribute in the school’s longstanding mission of producing first-class student-athletes.

Besides the obvious upside of being able to recruit athletes prior to September 1^st of their junior year, India commented on the significantly smaller percentage of players who transfer out of high-academic Division III universities as compared to the turnover prevalent in higher divisions.

“When players commit to play softball here, they aren’t just committing to the athletic program—they are committing to being a part of the culture of academic excellence at Emory,” explained India. “Even with the divisions you kind of have to dig deep and uncover some layers about what someone is asking for when they ask for Division I or Power-5—it’s the experience. What I’m hoping to convey to my recruits is that the same experience is available at Emory on my team.”

“We can build a culture—we can actually build on a program, because we aren’t dealing with students in the transfer portal or asking to leave due to negative experiences.”

India commented that part of the reason for this stable environment is due to the student-athletes being very well taken care of by the university’s athletic department. Given the academic rigor of a school like Emory, India knows that there will be days where her players show up totally bogged down from their efforts in the classroom.

Knowing the high-standards placed on the all the students of the university, India plans to be incredibly mindful when it comes to building relationships with her players off the field and in recognizing the mental health effects of competing at such a high-level.

As a former player, India knows all too well the way in which fastpitch coaches at all levels have collectively “dropped the ball” when it comes to addressing the mental health of student-athletes, and hopes to use her influence to foster a balanced environment that continuously reminds her players how valued they are, not only as student-athletes, but as people.

The coach’s humility is exhibited in her unwavering commitment to keeping the focus on the athletes, not herself.

“I try to watch the pressure. From my experience with club ball, coming in as a new coach at the beginning of a season, too many players try too hard to impress me or they try and do things exactly how I do things, often frustrated and feeling like they aren’t bringing enough to the table,” India said. “It’s all such unnecessary pressure.”

“I’ve already played this game for many years. I’ve been coaching this game for a lot of years. But this isn’t my playing career—its theirs. I’m the coach, but its their team and their experience. I can X and O all day but it’s their job to play.”

When asked how she is approaching her first year at Emory, India shared that her foremost priority is getting to know the team and its players on an individual level. She’s spent time learning what the current athletes study, what their goals are for the upcoming season, and what culture has proven most conducive for the success of the team.

“I can’t come in and tell them what the culture is going to be without first getting to know them. They don’t even have a practice schedule yet!”

Emory is undoubtedly preparing for an exciting year. In the last few years, the team has been plagued by injuries and, at one point last season, there were just enough players to field a team. Still, the team managed to end the season with a .500 record under the direction of Adrianna Baggetta.

The team boasts 18 capable players this season, but India is making sure to keep the memory of last season in their minds as they approach their fall exhibition.

“I’m honored to be part of a culture known for its grit and resilience. Though we have double the numbers they had last year, it is crucial not to forget when there were just nine girls able to play the field. They had to fight and play with heart to achieve the record they did last year—and these are qualities that every coach wants in their team.:

“They already know how to utilize these skills, so the challenge is for me to continue fostering this culture throughout the next few years.”

India strives for her student-athletes to be as unbothered as she is when it comes to the implications of “Division III.” 

“I’m going to do everything I can to get it in their heads that they are first-class all around. I’m going to spoil the heck out of them and build on the positive influence that the university is giving them both on and off the field.”

Since India is beginning her new position right amidst the buzz of September 1^st, she was asked what she is looking for when recruiting athletes for the next generation of Emory Eagles.

“I want the athlete that is Division I in classroom and Division I on the field. I always say ‘Division’ in quotes, but it does actually convey the first-class standard I’m setting as a coach for Emory,” India said. “As an athlete, if you don’t feel like you are the best of the best and you don’t see all of the prestige about Emory, then I don’t want you. We are not a second fiddle university, we are top-tier in all aspects. That’s who I’m going after, that’s who I want. No leftovers, no second-hands. I’m gonna go big because they exist—there are athletes who are killing it on the field and in the classroom.”

India has begun meeting with her players to navigate their class schedules with training plans. She grows more excited each day to finally get to get on the field with her new team and is determined to lead Emory University Softball to unprecedented heights.

— Regan Weekly/Extra Inning Softball

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