Biography:

Rachel Rhynard spent the last three years as an assistant coach at Boise State University. During that time she helped coach a individual track and field conference champion (2022), men's and women's individual NCAA qualifier (2022), NCAA cross country All-American (2022), women's conference freshman of the year (2023), and a men's individual NCAA cross country qualifier (2023).

Before arriving in Boise, Rhynard spent two years as associate head coach for the cross country and track and field teams with the Ball State University Cardinals. Rhynard helped the cross country team to its best finish at the conference championships since 2007. She also coached the cross country team into the top 15 of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Great Lakes Region Poll for the first time in over a decade.

Individually, Rhynard coached 29 runners to career bests during the 2019 cross country season.

Before arriving in Muncie, Rhynard spent two seasons as an assistant coach at North Florida where she helped guide the Ospreys to a pair of Atlantic Sun cross country team championships. Additionally, she coached the 2016 ASUN men’s cross country individual champion and the 2016 and 2017 ASUN women’s cross country individual champion.

Prior to joining the North Florida staff, Rhynard spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Lansing (Michigan.) Community College where she helped guide the Stars to the 2015 NJCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country National Championships. Under her tutelage, 13 student-athletes earned All-America honors.

Rhynard began her coaching career in 2013 as an assistant for Lansing Catholic High School, helping lead the boys cross country program to the 2015 state title and coaching four individual state champions.
 
Before joining the coaching ranks, Rhynard was a three-year letterwinner in cross country (2010-12) and a four-year letterwinner in track and field (2009-10 to 2012-13) at Michigan State University.

A two-time NCAA Cross Country Championships participant (2011 and 2012), she helped lead the Spartans to back-to-back Big Ten titles in 2010 and 2011. 
 
As a senior, she earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in both cross country and indoor track and field. She concluded her collegiate career running the 5,000-meter at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field East Preliminary Round and as a program record holder in the indoor distance medley relay and the outdoor 4x1,500m relay.
 
Rhynard graduated from Michigan State in 2013 with her bachelor's degree in kinesiology. She earned her Master's Degree in Sport Administration from Ball State in 2020.

A native of Livonia, Mich., Rhynard was a standout prep runner, earning all-state honors for three consecutive years and guiding her team to a runner-up finish at the state championship.

Rhynard also holds her level 1 USATF Coach Certification. She and her husband Caleb reside in Boise with their two children Emmett and Elyse. They love to spend time outdoors hiking, camping, backpacking, and skiing.