(St. George, Utah – Aug. 14, 2023) Director of Strength and Conditioning Craig Timmons announced the addition of two new assistant coaches on Monday, with Rachel Saenz and Matt Gabriel officially joining Trailblazer Nation.
 
"I'm excited to have Matt and Rachel join my staff here at Utah Tech. They both have a very diverse strength and conditioning background to help us bolster our department," Timmons said. "I look forward to watching Trailblazer athletics continue to grow and develop with them as part of our family."

Saenz will work with women's basketball, volleyball and tennis while assisting with football, and comes to St. George after spending the last two years as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M Kingsville. In Kingsville, she was the head strength coach for softball, tennis, golf, and cross country while assisting with football and leading the Javelinas' developmental football group.
 
Before her time in Texas, Saenz spent one year as a strength and conditioning coach at DME Academy in Florida, and she also interned in the Sacramento State strength and conditioning program during the summer of 2021. Saenz started her career as an intern with the UC Davis strength and conditioning program while working towards her bachelor's degree.

Saenz earned an Associate's degree in Health Science from Merritt College in 2018 before double majoring in Cognitive Science and Exercise Biology at the University of California-Davis, graduating in June of 2021. She will graduate with her Master's in Kinesiology from Texas A&M Kingsville in December of 2023.

Matt Gabriel currently works with Trailblazer football, men's soccer, cross country, track & field and swim.
 
He comes to Utah Tech with professional internship experience at Notre Dame and Iowa, which came after time as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Jackson Academy in Jackson, Miss. Gabriel also worked as a graduate assistant at Southern Mississippi, which came after internships at UNC Charlotte and Bowling Green State.
 
With a Bachelor's in Exercise Science from Bowling Green State and a Master's in Sport Coaching Education and Performance from Southern Mississippi, Gabriel holds CSCS and USAW Level-1 certifications.