New Leaders for Crew

The Boston University men’s and women’s crew teams have more to look forward to this season than competitions — both will be led by a new head coach.

Olympic rowerThomas Bohrer has taken over the men’s team, andStacey Rippetoe, who helped guide the Michigan State women’s rowingteam to two Big Ten Championships and a program-best sixth-place teampoints finish at the 2008 NCAA Championship regatta, is the new women’s crew head coach.

A two-time Olympic medalist and a three-time medalist at the WorldChampionships, Bohrer competed for the U.S. Rowing Team from1986 to 1994, earning silver medals in the men’s coxless fours at twoconsecutive Olympic Summer Games — Seoul in 1988 and Barcelona in 1992.He was named U.S. Rowing Athlete of the Year in 1989, and was theOlympic team captain in 1992.

"I want to commend our crew alumni, current student-athletes, and senior associate athletic director Nancy Lyons for their commitmentthroughout this process of hiring the most qualified person to lead ourprogram," says Mike Lynch, assistant vice president and director of athletics. "BU aspires to be a national competitor in theworld of intercollegiate rowing. After conducting a nationwide search,we are confident that we are heading in that direction."

Rippetoe spent eight years with the Spartans, six years as an assistant coach and the last twoas the associate head coach. She was head coach of the noviceteam and recruiting coordinator for the entire program. MSU qualified for the NCAA Championships in seven of the past eight years.

"She is a proven recruiter, understandsfrom experience how to build a winning program, has a dynamic abilityto motivate and communicate, engages herself and her team in thecommunity, and will be absolutely relentless in her quest for success.Needless to say, we are proud to welcome Stacey to the Terrier family," says Lynch, crediting "the effortexhibited during this search process by our women’s rowing alumnae, ourcurrent student-athletes and deputy director of athletics DrewMarrochello, the sport administrator for women’s rowing."

The 2007 CRCA Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year, Rippetoealso helped MSU win a Big Ten team championship in 2005. The programhas finished as high as sixth nationally in the team pointschampionship twice during her tenure, in 2006 and 2008. Additionally,she led the second varsity four to a Big Ten championship in 2004.

“I want to thank Mike Lynch, Drew Marrochello, and the BU Athletics Department for providing me this opportunity,” Rippetoe says. “While Ihave aspired to be a head coach for many years, I wanted it to be theright situation. Boston University is the perfect opportunity. I cannotwait to become a part of Terrier Athletics and help an establishedprogram."

Bohrer has more than 20 years of successfulcoaching experience, most recently with the Union Boat Club in Boston,where he has trained rowers at the master’s, collegiate, novice, youth,and national team levels since 2000. He also has been the boysvarsity coach at Wayland-Weston High School, which won statechampionships each of his three years as coach.

"My family and I are eager to join the Terrier Athletics Departmentand the entire Boston University community," says Bohrer. "I lookforward to getting out on the Charles with the student-athletes as wepursue excellence for the BU men’s crew program."

Boston University and the Terrier men’s and women’s crew programs host the startof the Head of the Charles regatta at the University’s DeWolfe Boathouse. This year’s regatta is October 18 and 19, 2008.

Read more at the BU Athletics Web site.