Carolina volleyball has promoted Rachel Ferguson to associate head coach, head coach Mike Schall announced Tuesday morning.
Schall praised Ferguson’s impact on the program and her work on the recruiting trail, saying, "I'm excited to announce a well deserved promotion for Rachel Ferguson to Associate Head Coach," Schall said. "Rachel has been instrumental in identifying and recruiting student-athletes who can be successful in our program and at the University of North Carolina.
Rachel has earned the respect of her coaching peers, and I appreciate her hard work and contributions in all aspects of our program. She advocates for our student-athletes to enhance their experience in Chapel Hill."
Ferguson joined Carolina in 2023 as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, and she has already been part of a stretch that included back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in 2024 and 2025 as the Tar Heels worked their way back to national prominence.
Before arriving in Chapel Hill, Ferguson spent four seasons at Lipscomb University in Nashville. She served three years as an assistant coach there before moving into the associate head coach role in 2022.
During her time with the Bisons, Lipscomb went 47-29 overall and 33-11 in conference play. That run included spring 2021, when Ferguson helped guide the program to its seventh ASUN title and eighth NCAA Tournament berth.
She also helped land a 2020 recruiting class that PrepVolleyball.com gave a Highest Honorable Mention, placing it among the top 60 classes in the country across Division I.
Ferguson’s resume also includes the AVCA Thirty Under 30 Award in 2021, a nod to her rising profile in the sport.
Her other stops in coaching have included a season as a volunteer assistant at Indiana University, a technical coordinator role with USA Volleyball's Collegiate National Team, and staff positions at Grand Canyon University, North Carolina Central, and the University of Dubuque.
As a player, Ferguson was a four-year letter winner at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio, where she recorded 2,551 assists as a setter. She helped Heidelberg win three Ohio Athletic Conference regular season titles, one OAC Tournament Championship, and reach four NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, finishing her college career with a 111-35 record.
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