THE FLATS – Rachel Jones has been named the director of strength and conditioning for women’s basketball, head coach Karen Blair announced on Tuesday. Jones, who helped lead University of Albany to four-straight 20-plus win seasons, has served in the industry for over a decade.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rachel and her family to Georgia Tech,” said Blair. “Rachel brings a wealth of experience and knows what it takes to build championship habits. Her passion and enthusiasm are instantly contagious. She will be a great leader and mentor for our student-athletes and program. We are aligned in our vision to build a competitive and fun environment with high standards and clear expectations.”
Jones joined the University of Albany’s strength and conditioning staff in 2018, overseeing women’s basketball, softball and cross country before she was quickly elevated to associate head strength and conditioning coach. Jones also assisted with football and served as the department’s internship coordinator. During her tenure in Albany, women’s basketball won two America East regular season championships (2023, 2025) and captured the 2022 America East Tournament Championship.
Prior to UAlbany, Jones was an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from 2014-18. At RPI, she was the head strength coach for women’s ice hockey, softball, baseball, women’s soccer and tennis. She also assisted with the football program and weightlifting club.
Jones arrived at RPI after a stint at Binghamton University as an assistant strength and conditioning coach overseeing women’s tennis, while assisting with women’s basketball, softball, men’s and women’s lacrosse and track and field. Jones’ additional stops include Delta State University and the University of Delaware.
Jones was a softball letterwinner at the University of Delaware where she earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise science physiology in 2012. She also holds a master’s degree in exercise science from SUNY Cortland.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
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