The University of Mississippi Athletics
Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Eri Yamada Hired as Softball Director of Player Development
9/30/2025 | Softball
OXFORD, Miss. – Head coach Jamie Trachsel and the Ole Miss softball program have added an Olympic legend to the coaching staff, hiring Eri Yamada as the Director of Player Development.
A legendary softball player from Japan, Yamada won two Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, while also taking home a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Yamada joins the Rebels with 24 years of experience as a player and a coach, most recently serving as an assistant coach for the Japanese national softball team. Prior coaching experience included a stint as an assistant coach at Tsukuba University and as a player-coach for Japanese professional side Denso Bright Pegasus.
Yamada's playing career spanned 20 years, which included 18 years with Japanese side Hitachi Sundiva. Yamada also spent time in the United States as a member of both the Chicago Bandits and Dallas Charge of the now defunct National Pro Fastpitch (NPF). Yamada concluded her playing career with Denso for two seasons.
Over her playing career, Yamada took home 13 medals across the Olympic Games, Women's Softball World Cup and the Women's Softball Asian Cup, including the aforementioned two Olympic gold medals, one gold medal in the world championship and four Asian championship titles.
Yamada joins Morgan Klaevemann as new additions to the Rebel coaching staff after the historic 2025 campaign.
The Rebels will open action for the start of the fall season with an intrasquad scrimmage on Oct. 10, before hosting Copiah-Lincoln CC for a doubleheader on Oct. 17.
Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.
For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball and on Instagram at @olemisssoftball. Also, follow head coach Jamie Trachsel on Twitter at @Jamie_Trachsel.
A legendary softball player from Japan, Yamada won two Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, while also taking home a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Yamada joins the Rebels with 24 years of experience as a player and a coach, most recently serving as an assistant coach for the Japanese national softball team. Prior coaching experience included a stint as an assistant coach at Tsukuba University and as a player-coach for Japanese professional side Denso Bright Pegasus.
Yamada's playing career spanned 20 years, which included 18 years with Japanese side Hitachi Sundiva. Yamada also spent time in the United States as a member of both the Chicago Bandits and Dallas Charge of the now defunct National Pro Fastpitch (NPF). Yamada concluded her playing career with Denso for two seasons.
Over her playing career, Yamada took home 13 medals across the Olympic Games, Women's Softball World Cup and the Women's Softball Asian Cup, including the aforementioned two Olympic gold medals, one gold medal in the world championship and four Asian championship titles.
Yamada joins Morgan Klaevemann as new additions to the Rebel coaching staff after the historic 2025 campaign.
The Rebels will open action for the start of the fall season with an intrasquad scrimmage on Oct. 10, before hosting Copiah-Lincoln CC for a doubleheader on Oct. 17.
Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.
For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball and on Instagram at @olemisssoftball. Also, follow head coach Jamie Trachsel on Twitter at @Jamie_Trachsel.
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