Julie Torbett Thomas

Biography

Julie Torbett Thomas was named as the indoor volleyball program's seventh head coach on Jan. 4, 2022. Torbett Thomas created instant success in her first season as the Chattanooga bench boss, leading the team to a 17-16 overall record (10-6 SoCon) and an appearance in the Southern Conference semifinals for the first time since 2016. The 17-16 season in 2022 was the first winning season for the program since 2016 and also provided the most wins in a season for the program in a head coach's first season. She helped direct the development of All-Southern Conference First Team selection Natalie Tyson (outside hitter) and Second Team honoree Paige Gallentine (libero). 2023 saw continued success for the Mocs, with the program stringing together its second consecutive winning season under Torbett Thomas with a 19-14 record on the year alongside a 6-10 SoCon record. It was in that same season that the Mocs opened the year with an 8-1 record, marking the best start to a season in program history. UTC would once again return to the Southern Conference Tournament Semifinals under Torbett Thomas in 2023 following an upset of No. 2 seeded Mercer in the SoCon Quarterfinals. Torbett Thomas would also reach a major career milestone on the year, earning her 500th career head coaching victory in her 30th season of coaching collegiate volleyball. Torbett Thomas came to Chattanooga after two years as the head coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, she only coa