Women's Basketball
Vail, Rhen
Rhen Vail
- Title:
- Strength and Conditioning Coach (WBB)
- Email:
- rvail@pitt.edu
- Phone:
- 412-758-7113
Rhen Vail joined the University of Pittsburgh Department of Athletics in May 2018 as strength and conditioning coach for women’s basketball.
Prior to his arrival at Pitt, Vail served as head basketball sports performance coach at Kent State from 2016-18. In his first season in the position, the men’s basketball team won its first Mid American Conference Tournament title since 2008, while the women’s team improved its win total by 13 games and captured the MAC East Division Championship. During his time with the Golden flashes, Vail was a part of 12 MAC Championships and helped train numerous All-Americans and draft picks. He has trained 13 MLB draft picks and worked in some capacity with 30 NFL draft picks.
For three years before his promotion, he was assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Golden Flashes from 2013-16, overseeing baseball, women’s soccer, men’s and women’s track and assisting with football. The Lucas, Ohio, native was a graduate assistant for the Golden Flashes before becoming a full-time coach. He earned a master’s degree in sport and recreation management from Kent State in 2013.
In 2011, Vail received his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University in exercise science where he served as a student intern with the Buckeye football strength and conditioning staff for three seasons. Upon completion of his degree, Vail completed a six-month internship with Athletes Performance in Los Angeles working closely with a wide variety of world class athletes. He is certified through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa), USA Weightlifting (USAW), and the National Association of Speed and Explosion (NASE).
Beyond the Bio
Favorite thing to do in the city:
Explore new places.
What do you love most about working in athletics?
Developing a relationship with the student-athletes and seeing them not only succeed on the court but off the court as well.
If you could have dinner with any three people who would it be?
Abraham Lincoln, LeBron James, Stephen King.
Favorite quote?
“When you change the way you view adversity, you change the way it affects you.”
Hobbies outside of work?
Reading, trying new restaurants, skiing, biking.
Prior to his arrival at Pitt, Vail served as head basketball sports performance coach at Kent State from 2016-18. In his first season in the position, the men’s basketball team won its first Mid American Conference Tournament title since 2008, while the women’s team improved its win total by 13 games and captured the MAC East Division Championship. During his time with the Golden flashes, Vail was a part of 12 MAC Championships and helped train numerous All-Americans and draft picks. He has trained 13 MLB draft picks and worked in some capacity with 30 NFL draft picks.
For three years before his promotion, he was assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Golden Flashes from 2013-16, overseeing baseball, women’s soccer, men’s and women’s track and assisting with football. The Lucas, Ohio, native was a graduate assistant for the Golden Flashes before becoming a full-time coach. He earned a master’s degree in sport and recreation management from Kent State in 2013.
In 2011, Vail received his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University in exercise science where he served as a student intern with the Buckeye football strength and conditioning staff for three seasons. Upon completion of his degree, Vail completed a six-month internship with Athletes Performance in Los Angeles working closely with a wide variety of world class athletes. He is certified through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa), USA Weightlifting (USAW), and the National Association of Speed and Explosion (NASE).
Beyond the Bio
Favorite thing to do in the city:
Explore new places.
What do you love most about working in athletics?
Developing a relationship with the student-athletes and seeing them not only succeed on the court but off the court as well.
If you could have dinner with any three people who would it be?
Abraham Lincoln, LeBron James, Stephen King.
Favorite quote?
“When you change the way you view adversity, you change the way it affects you.”
Hobbies outside of work?
Reading, trying new restaurants, skiing, biking.
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