SUNY Names Chandler Head Coach

COBLESKILL — The SUNY Cobleskill Athletic Department announced today that Rachel Chandler has been named the Fighting Tigers women’s head volleyball coach for the 2024 season. Chandler succeeds Kate Isaksen who led the Fighting Tigers to a 12-16 overall record along with a 5-5 record in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) play and a spot in the conference’s 2023 championship tournament.

When asked about the job ahead, the new Fighting Tiger Head Coach was grateful for the opportunity and excited to get to work with the 2024 campaign fast approaching.

“I am extremely grateful to Marie Curran-Headley for this opportunity to join the Coby athletics family.  I am looking forward to getting right to work with these incredible young ladies.  I plan to continue the growth and development of this program to ensure the success of our student-athletes.”  

Chandler has a wealth of coaching experience serving as the Head Men’s Volleyball Coach and Assistant Women’s Volleyball Coach at Russell Sage College in Troy, N.Y., from 2019-2021 and as the Assistant Women’s Volleyball Coach at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y. in 2022. Additionally, Chandler is a member of the coaching staff of the Capital Region’s Jaguars Volleyball Club of Guilderland, N.Y. where she is the head coach for the Volley Tots and Junior Jags teams.

Collegiately Chandler played for her first three years at NCAA Division II member University of Sciences in Philadelphia, Pa. of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) before transferring to Sage College in 2014 leading the Gators to the program’s third Skyline Conference Champion and a bid to the 2014 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament while earning First Team All-Skyline Conference honors at the middle hitter position.

A 2011 graduate of Troy High School in Troy, N.Y. Chandler was a prep standout in both volleyball and track & field. She was a four-year varsity performer of the volleyball team serving as team captain in 2010 leading the Flying Horses to a Big 10 Conference title in 2008 during her career while on the track she established the program’s indoor record in the shot put in 2009 then captured the Big 10 Conference’s indoor championship in the event in 2010.

Chandler holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences from Russell Sage College graduating in 2015 and a Master’s Degree in Sports Management earned in 2019 from SUNY Cortland in Cortland.