University of Tennessee Athletics
Football
Katie O'Connor
- Title:
- Director of Football Nutrition
With over eight years of team nutrition experience, Katie O’Connor joined the Tennessee staff as director of football nutrition in January 2026.
O’Connor, who owns five years in the head role, will work closely with Director of Sports Performance Derek Owings to build the Volunteers’ nutrition program, geared toward maximizing performance and recovery.
O’Connor comes to Rocky Top after serving as the director of nutrition for Kansas football from December 2023 through the 2025 season. She oversaw the entire nutrition program, training table and supplemental protocols, while building specific individualized nutrition plans for athletes.
O’Connor is no stranger to SEC nutrition and performance. She served as the assistant football performance dietitian at LSU for two seasons (2022-23). She was responsible for providing scientifically-based counseling to student-athletes in order to optimize health and performance, performed individual consults, developing meal plans tailored toward performance and recovery goals and coordinated care with athletic training, strength and conditioning, sports science for return-to-play athletes.
Prior to LSU, Katie served as the first director of performance nutrition at Georgia Southern. Her duties included providing nutrition education, counseling, team talks and coordinating nutrition care for 17 Division I teams, while building the department’s nutrition program from the ground up.
Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, Katie received her bachelor’s degree in dietetics from Vermont in 2018 and her master’s degree in exercise physiology with a concentration in sports nutrition from Florida State in 2021. She got her start as an intern with the Seminoles from 2019-21.
The O’Connor File
Hometown: Syracuse, N.Y.
Education: Vermont, 2018 (bachelor’s in dietetics); Florida State, 2021 (master’s in exercise physiology)
History
2019-21: Florida State, Sports Nutrition Intern
2021-22: Georgia Southern, Director of Performance Nutrition
2022-23: LSU, Assistant Football Performance Dietitian
2023-26: Kansas, Director of Football Nutrition
2026-present: Tennessee, Director of Football Nutrition
O’Connor, who owns five years in the head role, will work closely with Director of Sports Performance Derek Owings to build the Volunteers’ nutrition program, geared toward maximizing performance and recovery.
O’Connor comes to Rocky Top after serving as the director of nutrition for Kansas football from December 2023 through the 2025 season. She oversaw the entire nutrition program, training table and supplemental protocols, while building specific individualized nutrition plans for athletes.
O’Connor is no stranger to SEC nutrition and performance. She served as the assistant football performance dietitian at LSU for two seasons (2022-23). She was responsible for providing scientifically-based counseling to student-athletes in order to optimize health and performance, performed individual consults, developing meal plans tailored toward performance and recovery goals and coordinated care with athletic training, strength and conditioning, sports science for return-to-play athletes.
Prior to LSU, Katie served as the first director of performance nutrition at Georgia Southern. Her duties included providing nutrition education, counseling, team talks and coordinating nutrition care for 17 Division I teams, while building the department’s nutrition program from the ground up.
Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, Katie received her bachelor’s degree in dietetics from Vermont in 2018 and her master’s degree in exercise physiology with a concentration in sports nutrition from Florida State in 2021. She got her start as an intern with the Seminoles from 2019-21.
The O’Connor File
Hometown: Syracuse, N.Y.
Education: Vermont, 2018 (bachelor’s in dietetics); Florida State, 2021 (master’s in exercise physiology)
History
2019-21: Florida State, Sports Nutrition Intern
2021-22: Georgia Southern, Director of Performance Nutrition
2022-23: LSU, Assistant Football Performance Dietitian
2023-26: Kansas, Director of Football Nutrition
2026-present: Tennessee, Director of Football Nutrition
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Tuesday, December 30
FB | Joey Halzle & William Inge Music City Bowl Preview Press Conference (12.29.25)
Monday, December 29
FB | Josh Heupel Music City Bowl Preview Press Conference (12.29.25)
Monday, December 29
FB | DeSean Bishop Media Availability (12.27.25)
Saturday, December 27
