University of South Alabama Athletics

Meredith (Tanner) Frisbey begins her 19th year as a member of the South Alabama staff where she has served a variety of different roles. In the summer of 2023, Frisbey was named chief of staff after serving the previous 12 years as the director of softball operations.  Tanner Frisbey was named the program’s director of operations following the 2011 season, and during her first season at USA in 2007, she served as administrative assistant for the team and then moved to team manager prior to the start of the 2008 campaign.

In her chief of staff role, Frisbey assists in Community Outreach, Fan Engagement and Softball Development, while also continuing overseeing South’s student managers, the academic progress of student-athletes, the program’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), all student-athlete summer school and fifth-year needs, day-to-day student-athlete administrative issues and on-campus housing for student-athletes, as well as coordinating all team travel, and is responsible for processing expense reports, game contacts and monitoring monthly financial budgets.  

During her time with the program, South has claimed three Sun Belt Conference Tournament titles (2012, ’13 and ’15) and advanced to the NCAA Regional final in six times (2012, ’13, ’14,’15, ’21 and ‘24).  The Jaguars have also eclipsed the 40-win mark four times during that span.  

Over that span, 66 student-athletes have received all-Sun Belt honors – 32 first-team selections and 34 second-team selections.  USA has also had 25 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region selections and three NFCA Second-Team All-American selections.  During that same time, South Alabama has had a SBC Player of the Year selection (Brittany Fowler, 2013), Pitcher of the Year selection (Olivia Lackie, 2023), two Freshmen of the Year selections (Haley Fagan, 2013 and Hannah Campbell, 2011) and a SBC Newcomer of the Year selection (Tara Donaldson, 2007).

The Jaguars have also excelled in the classroom as USA has had 160 student-athletes named to the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List, while 109 student-athletes have earned Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll honors. Additionally, 140 players have been named to the NFCA All-America Scholar list, an award given to student-athletes that acquire at least a 3.5 grade-point average or higher during the academic year.  The Jags have had at least seven honorees for the annual award every year since 2007 and posted a program-record 18 selections for the 2020-21 academic year, and 16 the following year.

Frisbey came to South Alabama after three-year career at the University of Mobile.  While at Mobile, Frisbey was an NAIA all-conference, all-region and second-team All-America selection, as well as a National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association first-team all-region and second-team All-America selection in 2005. In 2004, Frisbey was named NFCA Diamond Catcher of the Year, while also making the NAIA and NFCA first-team All-American and all-region teams, and was also a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference all-conference selection. Frisbey was named first-team all-region and NFCA second-team all-region, as well as being named to the NAIA all-tournament team, in 2003. She transferred to Mobile after spending her freshman season at Northwest Florida State. 

Frisbey graduated from Mobile in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in human performance and exercise science and received a master’s degree in exercise science from the University of South Alabama in 2011.

She is a native of Hoover, Ala., and graduated from Hoover High School. Frisbey is married to Jinni Frisbey, the Senior Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator/Title IX Coordinator/Football Chief of Staff; the couple have one daughter, Hayden Leigh.