A native of Leavenworth, Kansas, Rachel Blackburn joins the Adams Sates women's basketball coaching staff as a first year assistant coach for the 2019-20 season. She comes to Adams State University after spending the past four years as a student-athlete with the University of Nebraska women's basketball program.Â
 "Our program is honored to add Coach Blackburn to our staff," Coach Green said. "She boasts of a tremendous playing career from one of the top NCAA D1 women's basketball programs in the country. In the hiring process, our staff was looking for its missing piece, someone who could impact the team immediately with knowledge & experience on and off the floor. Coach Blackburn set herself a part from the rest of the field and we are honored to have her in the trenches on a daily basis with our team and staff."
At Nebraska, Rachel began her career starting her first 9 games as a freshman and competed in 25 games that year averaging 4 points per game and 5 rebounds per game. During her freshman season she became 1 of 2 Huskers to draw four charges in a game the other being All-American Kelsey Griffin in 2010. Due to knee injuries, she was sidelined her Sophomore year. Entering her RS sophomore season, then 2nd year head coach Amy Williams, was quoted "Rachel brings a lot to our team because she is a high IQ basketball player who possesses the gritty toughness we are looking to instill in our program. As she gradually works back into practices and games, she is showing great leadership, both verbally and by example." Blackburn proved Coach Williams belief to be true, competing in 29 games helping the Huskers to have a turn around season going 21-11 and earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament. It came as a major disappointment to the Huskers coaching staff and team that at the conclusion of the 2017-2018 season, Blackburn would no longer be able to compete at the level she once was capable of due to her chronic knee injuries. Â
"I am so blessed and excited to start my coaching career as a Grizzly at Adams State," Blackburn said. "Coach Green and I spoke on the phone for the first time for 10 minutes, as soon as I hung up I knew I had to be at Adams State and work for Coach Green. She is one of the most genuine, hard working coaches that I have ever met. I can't thank her enough for the incredible opportunity she has given me to be a part of something special and to coach with my former head coach, Jordan Mellott. I am so excited to be a Grizzly!"Â
Before playing at Nebraska, Blackburn attended Leavenworth High School where she played for current ASU women's basketball assistant coach Jordan Mellott. At Leavenworth she helped lead the team to Back-to-Back class 5A state titles and a top 25 team in the nation ranking by MaxPreps. Blackburn, was ranked as the No. 17 post player in the nation by ESPN. She also ranked as the No. 63 player in the nation overall by Blue Star Basketball and No. 69 by Prospects Nation. She was a Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year Nominee and one of five finalists for the 2015 DiRenna Award.
The daughter of Col. David (Ret.) and Lisa Blackburn. Rachel has an older sister, Rebecca, and a younger sister, Katelyn. Rachel earned her business management degree in May of 2019 and is now pursuing her masters in sports psychology.Â
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