by Liz Newton
sports editor
Athletic Director Josh Brooks isn’t the only new face in the Millsaps athletic department. Kelli Trautmann has joined the Majors athletic faculty this year to coach the volleyball and track teams. Trautmann grew up loving and playing sports, as both of her parents were coaches and also played.
Trautmann began her career as a coach at the high school level until she felt that she should make more of a career out of it. Through her graduate assistant at UW- Whitewater and the head volleyball coach at the University of Southern Mississippi, Amanda Berkley, Trautmann heard of the position of assistant coach here at Millsaps. She always had wanted to venture out and “get away from Wisconsin,” but never thought she would end up in Jackson, Miss., but Trautmann says, “it all worked out and I am really enjoying my experience here at Millsaps.” Trautmann also credits Coach Jaime Fisher and Coach Andy Till for how much she is learning, saying, “They are both really helpful, and are fantastic coaches.”
What Trautmann really enjoys most about coaching is teaching athletes the game, but she also believes that as a coach, it is her responsibility to “push the kids to get better as both a person and an athlete.” Through sports, she feels that the athletes can learn positive traits both on the field and off.