Jacksonville University Athletics welcomed a new addition to the Sports Performance department on Wednesday.
Courtney Taybron joins as the new Assistant AD of Sports Performance after a multi-year stint in sports performance leadership at Longwood.
“The physical training of our premiere student-athletes will serve as a springboard to our future competitive accolades and Coach Taybron is absolutely a tremendous addition for that area of focus,” said Deputy AD Rick Canter. “She will be vital not just in leading us in the weight room, but she’ll also serve on our senior staff and will lead our Student Athlete Advisory Committee. We are excited to welcome her to the Dolphin community.”
“I am grateful and honored to join the Jacksonville University family,” Taybron said. “I want to thank Athletic Director Alex Ricker-Gilbert and Deputy Athletic Director Rick Canter for allowing me the opportunity to embark on this new journey at JU.”
Taybron joins JU after most recently serving as the Director of Sports Performance at Longwood since July 2019. In her role with JU, she will oversee day-to-day operation of the weight room, serve as a strength coach for several teams, serve as a liaison to multiple departments within athletics, work closely with new Deputy Athletic Director Rick Canter and serve as the athletic department’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council Advisor.
She was recently awarded the SAAC Acclaimed Commitment to Excellence of Student-Athletes Award at Longwood, for displaying an extraordinary effort in the development of student-athletes. This came in large part due to her efforts with the women’s basketball program, which enjoyed a breakout season in 2019-20, setting a school record for Big South Conference wins, while leading the league in several team and individual statistical categories.
While at Longwood, she ran the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes group, facilitated sports performance education workshops and was heavily involved in the Black Student-Athlete Affinity Group on campus.
The Wilson, N.C. native is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA, a Strength and Conditioning Certified Coach through the CSSCa, a USA Weightlifting Level 1 Certified Sports Performance Coach, holds a Pn1 (Precision Nutrition – Level 1) certification and is CPR/AED certified through the American Red Cross.
A graduate of East Carolina in 2018, she earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology while excelling as a member of the Pirates soccer team and earning American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team honors all four years. She interned with the strength and conditioning staff starting her sophomore year at ECU, and after graduating, served as an intern with Liberty’s strength and conditioning team while earning her master’s degree in human performance with a concentration in strength and conditioning.
“I am beyond excited for the opportunity to join this administration and the sports performance team,” said Taybron. “This athletic department, its programs and the community are hungry to excel and I cannot wait to be a part of it! Go Dolphins!”
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