Yolanda McRae joined the Maryland staff in September of 2014 after spending a season as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Georgia
While in Athens, McRae helped the Bulldogs achieve a 49-15 mark en route to an appearance in the NCAA Super Regionals and Georgia’s first ever SEC Tournament title. The squad also finished ranked third nationally in home runs and hovered around the top-three in RPI for most of the season.
Prior to her season at Georgia, McRae served for two seasons as an assistant at Virginia. The Cavaliers’ offensive production increased in most major offensive categories during McRae’s stint, including a major jump in home runs from 2010 (12) to 2011 (29).
McRae was previously at Maryland during the 2010 and 2011 seasons under head coach Laura Watten. In 2010, McRae helped the Terps achieve their first appearance in NCAA Regionals since 1999 and a school-best fourth place finish in the ACC.
The 2011 Terps recorded a program-best 40-19 record in 2011 and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the second straight season. Maryland notched 12 ACC wins, a school record, and featured Vangie Galindo, who finished the year 33rd in the nation in batting average. McRae tutored four All-ACC selection that year and helped the team improve in all major offensive catagories.
A three-season stay at Georgia Tech proceeded McRae’s first stint at Maryland. In 2009, the Yellow Jackets won the ACC regular season and tournament titles, as well as a NCAA regional championship crown. The Jackets finished 17-3 in the ACC and won all seven series they played in conference.
McRae’s 2009 team was the first in Georgia Tech history to host a Regional and Super Regional before eventually bowing out to eventual national champion Washington. The Yellow Jackets finished ranked No. 13 nationally in both the NFCA and ESPN.com polls. The team ended the season in the top-20 nationally in batting average, fielding percentage, home runs and slugging percentage.
McRae’s 2008 recruiting class went on to win four ACC Championships. That 2008 squad featured Savannah Brown who set a single season school record in RBI’s. McRae also helped Whitney Haller set a new all-time career home run total with 61 and coached Aileen Morales, who set the Georgia Tech all-time stolen base mark.
Her 2007 Georgia Tech team finished with a school record 54 wins and ended the year ranked No. 16 nationally. That team hit 96 home runs, which set an all-time school record, led the nation that season and finished as the ninth best single-season total in NCAA history.
The Yellow Jackets also finished second in the nation in slugging and eighth in batting average. In addition, Tech boasted Brown and Brittany Barnes, who both hit over 20 home runs.
The 2007 Yellow Jackets featured Caitlin Lever and Jennifer Yee, both of whom would represent the Canadian National Team in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Yee led the team in batting average and finished the tournament ranked fifth overall. Her average (.348) was the highest of any non-Team USA player.
McRae spent the 2006 season as a volunteer assistant at Georgia, helping the Bulldogs earn a top-10 national ranking.
As a player, McRae played for two seasons at Georgia State, before transferring to finish her career at Georgia. A native of Dublin, Ga., McRae helped the Bulldogs win their first SEC regular season title in her final season and graduated in 2004 bachelor’s degree in kinesiology.
