Carol Pillsworth has been the head women’s tennis coach at Rensselaer since 1980-81 and took over the men’s program in 1999-00. A former student-athlete at Rensselaer, she has been a member of the RPI athletics department in a variety of roles since July of 1975.
During her tenure at Rensselaer, Pillsworth has served as both an assistant and head coach of the women’s basketball program, the intramural sports director, the director of women’s athletics (in the late 1980’s) and the assistant softball coach.
As the head coach of the women’s tennis program, Pillsworth is closing in on the 200th-win plateau. In 1992, she reached the 100th-victory mark, needing just four wins to reach the milestone. In addition to her century mark in wins, Pillsworth also led the team to an undefeated season (13-0) in just her fifth year at the helm of the program.
Pillsworth’s success on the women’s side remained consistent in 1999 when she took over the reigns of the RPI men’s tennis team. The Engineers have had solid seasons under her direction, including the 2002 season in which the team posted a 9-2 record. She has coached a multitude of talented athletes, including two-time National Academic All-American Borjan Gagoski.
Hired in 1975 as an assistant coach for the women’s basketball program, she became the head coach the following season and led the team to a 35-29 record in a four-year span.
As a student-athlete, Pillsworth was involved in a variety of sports at Rensselaer. She competed in four sports during her time as an undergraduate, including softball, women’s basketball, field hockey (player/coach) and also as a member of the first women’s ice hockey team at RPI.
A native of nearby Latham, N.Y., Pillsworth received both her bachelor and master’s degrees in biology from Rensselaer, completing her education in 1976. She is also a 1970 graduate of Russell Sage College where she completed her bachelor’s degree in physical education. Her husband Joe Pillsworth, also a member of the Rensselaer athletic department, serves as her assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s tennis programs.
