West Virginia University Athletics

Jimmy King has been the head coach of the Mountaineer rowing program since 2007. Under his leadership, the program continues to move in an upward direction, showing vast improvement each year.

In his tenure at West Virginia, King has coached 15 first-team all-conference performers, including seven All-Big 12 Rowing honorees – Violet Hewett (2023-24), Lydia Nicolai (2022-23), Emma Toy (2021), Hannah Simmerly (2019), Carly Ledbetter (2018) and Louisa Morgan (2017). He has also had 102 student-athletes named College Rowing Coaches of America (CRCA) Scholar-Athletes, including a school-record 11 in 2021 and 2022 and 219 Big 12 All-Academic Team members, including the 2017 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the year, Morgan.

At West Virginia 2023-24
The 2024 season opened as a split squad, with four boats competing in the Sunshine State Invitational in Sarasota, Florida, and one boat participating in a race against Robert Morris and Duquesne, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The 2V4+ was able to figure out what they didn’t do well in Friday’s heat for 2V4+ the best overall performance through the weekend to earn first place in the finals. All four boats advanced from the heats to the petite finals on Saturday, resulting in the 1V8+ taking seventh, the 2V8+ securing fourth, the 1V4+ coming in at fifth and the 2V4+ earning first. In Pittsburgh, WVU's 3V8+ defeated Duquesne's 2V8+ by 11 seconds for the only race of the day due to weather.

Weather made things difficult again for the Mountaineers in the George Washington Invitational in Washington, D.C., as they were only able to compete in five of its 16 scheduled races. In the Friday session against St. Joe's, the 1V8+ fought hard but came up short. The 2V8+ however, put down the most dominant race of the weekend, finishing over 10 seconds ahead of St. Joe's. In the Saturday session, the 1V8+ and 2V8+ were shifted to a combined race with Old Dominion and Temple. WVU's 1V8+ and 2V8+ boats were not able to put away Temple, but they were successful in defeating Old Dominion. The 3V8+ went head-to-head with George Washington in its sole race for the weekend but was unable to keep up with the home squad.
 
WVU then travelled to Fairfax Station, Virginia, to compete in the George Mason Invitational. Highlighting the weekend was the 2V4+, starting the day with a first-place finish in their heat and winning the grand final. The 3V4+ had a good showing in a field primarily made up of 2V4+'s, finishing second in their heat and advancing to the grand final, where they placed fifth. The 1V4+ battled with George Washington, finishing in second but making it to the grand final later in the day. In the afternoon, WVU found themselves battling with GW once again and missing third place by just half a second. The 2V8+ took second place to Delaware in their heat, also advancing to the grand final. They made timely adjustments and had a good showing, missing a third-place finish by less than a second. In the 1V8+ race, WVU earned a fourth-place finish in their heat and placed second in the petite finals. The Mountaineers’ 3V8+ held consistency, finishing fourth in both races.
 
West Virginia concluded its spring season in Sarasota, Florida, with the Big 12 Championships. Junior Violet Hewett earned All-Big 12 First Team honors, while the team placed eighth with 21 points. The 2V8+ was hit with choppy water, resulting in a crab, but they quickly restarted with seven rowers and raced more than 500 meters down a rower. The crew put on a great charge to make it a race for seventh place coming up 0.6 seconds shy at the line. The 1V8+ put together a complete race from start to finish, throwing down their best racing of the year.

At West Virginia 2022-23
The season opened during spring break at the Sunshine State Invitational in Sarasota, Florida, and was highlighted by the two varsity eight boats, both of whom raced well in their first 2K action. The fours raced in windier, choppy conditions than the eights, yet maintained their composure in what was for many, their first ever 2,000-meter race.The 2V8+ crew finished third in the petite finals, 2V4+ boat finished fourth in the petite finals, and the 1V4+ and 1V8+ boats both finished fifth in their respective petite finals.

The next week, the Mountaineers competed in the Knecht Cup Regatta in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and despite facing much adversity over the course of the two-day event (April 15-16), each crew made successful gains. The V8+ boat raced three times on Saturday (heats and semifinals) and Sunday (finals). They finished in third place (heats) and in first place (petite final). The 2V8+ crew competed twice (heats) Saturday and in the finals on Sunday. They finished in third place (heats) and in fourth place (petite final). The Novice/Freshman 4+ crew competed in heats on Saturday and the finals on Sunday. They finished in first place (heats) and fifth place (grand final).
 
WVU completed its regular-season competition at the end of April at the George Mason Invitational on the Occoquan Reservoir in Fairfax Station Virginia. WVU boated four crews in its race: Varsity 8, Second Varsity 8, Varsity Four and Third Varsity 8. Race action in the morning heats for the Mountaineers was kicked off by the Varsity Four, which placed fourth in its heat to progress to the afternoon petite final where it placed second among five. The Mountaineers placed fourth in each of the Varsity 8 races, they were able to improve their margins to the other three crews in their afternoon final.

Entering the last 250m of the race in third place, the Mountaineers knew they were racing to advance on time which they successfully did with the fastest of the two qualifying times. The Mountaineers would go on to place fifth in their grand final and fifth of 11 overall for the Mountaineers' best placing of the day. Racing in the afternoon petite final, the Varsity Eight put together a complete race to finish second among five in the petite finals.

WVU closed the season in Austin, Texas, at the Big 12 Championship on Lake Walter E. Long. West Virginia placed seventh in the championship, with the 2V4+ finishing fourth and the 1V4+ boat ending in fifth. Junior Lydia Nicolai earned a spot on  the All-Big 12 Rowing Team, West Virginia’s fifth consecutive selection.

For the second year, senior Lydia Nicolai represented West Virginia on the All-Big 12 Rowing Team, announced during the championship's awards ceremony. WVU's top showing of the day was earned by its second eight, finishing fifth. The Mountaineers finished with a time of 6:53.177 and defeated Kansas and Kansas State.

"Kudos to our 2V8 on their great racing today!" WVU coach Jimmy King said. "Despite the obstacles encountered, especially over these past few weeks, they just kept getting after it and today it paid off with their best racing of the season.
 
At West Virginia 2021-22
Most of the offseason and the early portion of the year was spent trying to get the program to learn the new normal after enduring the revious year's hardship of COVID-19.

Once the season resumed, it was back to work, developing the roster and filling the boats with competitive teams that kept the program heading on the upward climb.

The season opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the Schuylkill River at the Murphy Cup Regatta. WVU entered boats in the First and Second Varsity 4+, the First and Second Varsity 8+ and the Novice 8. Three of the four boats advanced to the finals with the Second Varsity 8+ having tight races in both its preliminary heat, which it won, and the final, placing sixth. The First Varsity 4+ placed second in the morning heat and turned in a fourth-place finish, while the Second Varsity 4+ finished second in the preliminaries and placed fifth.

The next week saw the Mountaineers back on the east coast, competing at the Knecht Cup Regatta in Cooper, New Jersey. Despite facing much adversity throughout the weekend, four of the five crews that raced in the preliminary heats advanced to their events medal final, including three which boasted earning two silvers and one bronze medals.
 
Strong winds throughout most of the racing made the racing conditions challenging on both days of competition. While the water in the starting 500m was often good, the water typically worsened throughout the course with the last 500m most challenging, sometimes white-capping.

Amber Drysdale earned a silver medal rowing as an individual, The Second Varsity 4+ earned a bronze medal and the Varsity 4+ finished second, ahead of Georgetown to whom it lost by 10.6 seconds the previous weekend. The Novice 8 and Second Varsity 8+finished fourth in their finals.

West Virginia returned home for the Gold & Blue Regatta. The first event of the day began, not on the water, but on the Erg Deck with a 2k erg competition from which the Blue Squad emerged with 160 points and a 50-point lead over the Gold Squad's 110. The Blue Squad then went on to win four of five rowing events, scoring 277 points over the Gold Squad's 157. By the end of the day the Blue Squad amassed 437 points to capture the 2022 Gold & Blue Regatta and bragging rights for another year. 
 
Racing next on the Occoquan Reservoir at Sandy Run Regional Park, the George Mason Invitational saw WVU have its most complete performance, earning first-place finishes in the finals of the 1V4 and 2V4 races, and had a second-place finish in the 2V8 competition.
 
WVU started the day with the 2V4 boats. There were only three entries in that event so lanes were switched between rounds one and two instead of the typical heats and finals. WVU crossed the line first in both races convincingly.

The 2V8 once again had a very strong showing. In their heats, they cruised to a first-place finish and a spot in the grand finals. In the finals, they had a great battle with Jacksonville, who was able to edge past them, giving them second place. The 1V4 secured first in their heat to move on to the grand finals in the afternoon. The boat had an even stronger race in the finals, opening up even more space between them and the other crews and placing first.

WVU’s final regular-season contest saw them travel to Robert Morris for an exhibition to prepare for the Big 12 Championship.
 
The Mountaineers closed the season in Austin, Texas, at the Big 12 Championship on Lake Walter E. Long. West Virginia placed seventh in the championship, with the 2V4+ finishing fourth and the 1V4+ boat ending in fifth. Junior Lydia Nicolai earned a spot on  the All-Big 12 Rowing Team, West Virginia’s fifth consecutive selection.

At West Virginia 2020-21
Returning after a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mountaineers overcame a lot of obstacles and turned in a solid year on the water, winning both of their scored meets and showing improvement at the Big 12 Conference Championship.

The Mountaineers used their first three exhibitions, a home regatta against Duquesne and the first road test at Bucknell, and then the Gold and Blue Regatta, to work their way back to form after being off for an entire year. They used the time to work on different aspects, build chemistry and to prepare for their first scored race.

West Virginia returned home on April 2 for the Gold & Blue Regatta. In the intrasquad event, the Gold squad's cumulative time over six events was 33:34.54 to Blue's 34:22.46. However, the Blue Squad won four of the six events, plus the non-scoring Coxswains Four event, to defeat the Gold team.

At the Robert Morris Invitational, in the first scored race of the season, the Mountaineers swept all three races on the day.

In the first event, WVU's first varsity eight boat raced its way to the win with a 7:00.2-7:08.1 finish. The Mountaineers' second varsity eight boat also raced its way to victory with a 7:05.9 finish. The Robert Morris 'A' team finished with a time of 7:24.7, while its 'B' team finished in 8:07.9. West Virginia's first varsity four boat crossed the finish line in 8:04.2, securing the Mountaineers' third win of the day. Robert Morris finished the race with a time of 8:22

At the George Mason Invite, WVU's first Varsity 8+ boat finished behind Villanova in its initial heat, and the second Varsity 8+ and the Varsity 4+ boats had good showings but placed behind Delaware in their heats. In the "B Final" races, all three boats showed a lot of resiliency, as the First Varsity 8+ boat finished in the No. 1 position, and the second Varsity 8+ and the Varsity 4+ boats, this time, overtook Delaware and placed first in both races.
 
WVU’s final regular-season contest saw them play host to Robert Morris in an exhibition to prepare for the Big 12 Championship.
 
The Mountaineers closed the season in Austin, Texas, at the 2021 Big 12 Championship on Lake Walter E. Long. West Virginia amassed a qualifying team score of eight points to place seventh. Among Big 12 members, WVU finished with a team score of 51, also placing seventh. Junior Emma Toy capped the season by being named to the All-Big 12 Rowing Team, West Virginia’s fourth consecutive selection.

At West Virginia 2019-20
The season was canceled due to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At West Virginia 2018-19
For the second time in as many years, the Mountaineers opened their spring season on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, New Jersey at the Cooper Sprints. Five WVU boats competed in the opener – the first varsity eight, second varsity eight, first varsity four, second varsity four and third varsity eight. West Virginia best finish of the day came in the second varsity four Petite Final, where a young Mountaineer crew raced their way to a third-place finish in 8:27.32.9.

Following a cancellation at the Occoquan Sprints due to weather, West Virginia found itself with a week off before the traveled to Fairfax Station, Virginia, to defend the Big 12’s title at the 2019 George Mason Invite.
 
At the George Mason Invite, four Mountaineer boats came out strong for the Big 12 and garnered 12 of the conference’s 43 points. The Big 12 would come up one point shy of first place, as the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) was crowned the 2019 George Mason Invite champion with 44 conference points. The Atlantic 10 Conference placed third with 18 points.
 
West Virginia returned home on April 19 for its lone home event of the 2019 season, the Gold & Blue Regatta. In the intrasquad event, the Gold team defeated the Blue team, 800-500. Winning three out of five races on the day, the Gold team clinched its victory in the final event of the day, crossing the finish line three seconds ahead of the Blue Team.
 
WVU’s final regular-season contest saw them travel to our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., for a showdown with George Washington on the Potomac River. Battling weather and tough racing conditions throughout the day, the Mountaineers came up just short of the Colonials in the race.
 
Following nearly a month off, the Mountaineers traveled to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to compete at the 2019 Big 12 Championship on Melton Lake. After a one-hour fog delay, West Virginia amassed a qualifying team score of six points to place seventh. Among Big 12 members, WVU placed fifth with a team score of 49. Junior Hannah Simmerly capped the season by being named to the All-Big 12 Rowing Team, West Virginia’s third consecutive selection.

At West Virginia 2017-18
West Virginia began their spring on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, New Jersey at the Cooper Sprints. Four Mountaineer boats competed in the opener – the first varsity eight, second varsity eight, first varsity four, and third varsity eight/novice. WVU would see its best finish of the day come during the Petite Final when the first varsity eight would take second place.

The Mountaineers then traveled to Norfolk, Virginia to compete in Big 12 Duals, hosted by Old Dominion. In the event’s second year, WVU squared off against Texas and Oklahoma separately in six total races, battling the elements for most of the day.

After two weeks off from competition, West Virginia continued its spring in Fairfax Station, Virginia at George Mason University. One of their stronger performances of the season, four Mountaineer boats led the way to two first-place and four second-place finishes. WVU’s two first-place finishes helped lead the Big 12 Conference to victory – its second straight – at the George Mason Invite, alongside conference foes Kansas and Old Dominion.

Coming off a great showing at George Mason, the Mountaineers looked to build upon their success, as they traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to take on St. Joseph’s and Delaware to wrap up the regular season. WVU put together another solid performance, claiming three first-place finishes.
Following a short trip back to Morgantown, West Virginia traveled to Oak Ridge, Tennessee for the Big 12 Championship. Claiming one first-place finish, the Mountaineers collected eight team points to finish eighth overall. Among Big 12 foes, WVU was fifth with 47 team points. Of note, junior Carly Ledbetter capped the season by being named to the All-Big 12 Rowing Team.

At West Virginia 2016-17
The Mountaineers began off their spring season at the sixth annual Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, hosted by Louisville. Five Mountaineer boats competed in three sessions over the course of the two-day competition, the first varsity eight, second varsity eight, third varsity eight, varsity four, and second varsity four.

West Virginia then traveled to Washington D.C., where the Mountaineers took on Georgetown on the Potomac River. The Mountaineers’ second varsity eight boat were the highlight of the day as they overcame a slow start to best the Hoyas.

Following a week off from competition, the Mountaineers traveled back to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for the inaugural Big 12 Duals on Melton Lake. The Mountaineers faced Big 12 affiliate members Alabama and Tennessee in separate dual races in five events.

WVU continued its spring in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when they competed against Duquesne and Dayton. The Mountaineers had one of the strongest performances of the spring as they won two of three races against the Dukes and Flyers. The following day, the Mountaineers competed in the George Mason Invitational, where WVU won all three of its event finals to help the Big 12 Conference secure a victory.

West Virginia wrapped up its regular season on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia with races against Temple and Delaware. The Mountaineers’ second varsity four crew won two races over the course of the day, as the second varsity eight also notched a victory.

After a week off from competition, West Virginia then concluded its 2017 season at the Big 12 Rowing Championship in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on May 13-14. The Mountaineers won three Petite Finals as the second varsity eight, third varsity eight and first varsity four crews were able to claim victories. Among Big 12 foes, WVU was fifth with 49 team points.

At West Virginia 2015-16
The Mountaineers kicked off their spring season with a pair of dual races at the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The two-day regatta was hosted by Louisville. West Virginia’s first varsity eight, second varsity eight and first varsity four crews competed in nine races on the 2,000-meter course.

West Virginia then traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, to compete in the North Carolina Duals on March 25. The Mountaineers raced against North Carolina and Big 12 foe Old Dominion. The morning’s session was highlighted by a first-place finish in the first novice four race. WVU was able to cross the line in 8:12.0 to cap off the morning series. In the afternoon session, the second varsity eight boat came out on top over two of North Carolina’s crews.

WVU continued its spring in West Windsor, New Jersey, when it competed at the Knecht Cup. The two-day event featured crews from 70 different schools across the country. The Second Varsity Eight boat posted two top-five victories, including a fourth-place finish in the Petite Final. The Mountaineers’ Varsity Four crew placed sixth in the grand final of the event.

Following a week off from competition, the Mountaineers traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to take on Pitt, Duquesne, and Mercyhurst College on April 23. In arguably the best race of the season, King’s squad swept the first and second varsity eight events en route to six wins and one runner-up finish in 10 events against the Panthers, Dukes and Lakers on the 2,000 meter course.

West Virginia wrapped up its regular season for the second consecutive season on May 1, at the EAWRC Sprints in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Mountaineers’ second varsity four crew finished first in the Petite Final with a time of 8:33.069.

After a week off from competition, West Virginia then concluded its 2016 season at the Big 12 Rowing Championship in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, from May 14-15. Again, the second varsity four boat was able to claim the Petite Final. The Mountaineers would collect 12 team points to finish eighth overall. Among Big 12 foes, WVU was fifth with 57 team points.

At West Virginia 2014-15
West Virginia opened its spring slate with a series of races against Georgetown and North Carolina in Washington, D.C., on the Potomac River. The Mountaineers earned a first-place finish, a runner-up finish and a pair of third-place finishes behind Georgetown and North Carolina with their four crews at the event. The highlight of the day was the first-place finish by the Varsity 4+ boat, crossing the line four seconds ahead of North Carolina.

West Virginia then traveled to West Windsor, New Jersey, to compete at the Knecht Cup. The two-day event featured crews from 70 different schools across the country. The Women’s Second Varsity Eight boat posted a time of 7:02.19 to take home a win in the Petite Final, after placing third in its heat the day before. The Mountaineers held off Alabama’s boat by less than .77 seconds to place seventh overall out of 18 boats throughout the course of the two day event.

After a two-week hiatus, the squad finished the 2015 regular season schedule at the EAWRC Sprints. The Mountaineers’ top finishes came from the Second and Third Varsity Eight boats. The Second Varsity Eight crew finished eighth overall out of 13 crews (7:06.876), and the Third Varsity Eight boat finished eighth overall and second in the Petite Final in front of Holy Cross, Rutgers and Buffalo with a time of 7:31.231.

Come championship season, WVU amassed 52 points for a fifth-place finish at the Big 12 Championship in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The First Varsity Four continued its strong season, crossing the line in 7:58.13 to place fifth out of eight boats in the Grand Final, just one second shy of Tennessee’s boat. Senior Elizabeth Duarte was named to the All-Big 12 Rowing First Team.

At West Virginia 2013-14
During the 2013-14 campaign, the Mountaineers opened their season at the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. A couple weeks later, WVU tallied four second-place finishes against Indiana on Lake Lemon in Bloomington, Indiana. The Mountaineers “A” Varsity 8+ completed the 2,000-meter course shortly behind the Hoosiers’ shell with a time of 7:10.02.

At the Knecht Cup, the Novice Varsity 8+ finished third behind Buffalo and Drexel, and crossed the line with a mark of 7:17.02, earning a bronze medal. In addition, the Varsity 8+ crew posted a fourth-place finish in its opening heat at the Knecht Cup. The Mountaineers’ posted its fastest time of the day, claiming sixth in the semifinal heats in front of Alabama, Colgate and George Mason with a time of 6:57.21.

WVU earned 50 points for a fifth-place finish at the Big 12 Championship on the Oklahoma River in Oklahoma City, with Courtney Schrand named to the All-Big 12 First Team and Karen Verwey named to the All-Big 12 Second Team. The Mountaineers season ended with a 10th-place finish at the Conference USA Championship in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Courtney Schrand earned All-Conference USA honors as WVU missed out on the Grand Finals in the Varsity 8+ by .87 seconds with a fourth-place finish.

At West Virginia 2012-13
The 2012-13 season began at the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The Mountaineers secured a third-place finish in the Varsity 8+ “A” race, and second and first place honors in the “B” and “C” heats, respectively. A week later, the Varsity 8+ crew secured a first-place finish against Alabama and UCF, with a time of 7:41.5. At the Knecht Cup, WVU tallied two more top-10 finishes out of 34 crews in the Varsity 8+, as the Mountaineers’ top-boat finished fifth with a mark of 6:49.14.

Come championship season, WVU amassed 75 points for a fourth-place finish at the Big 12 Championship in Kansas City, Kansas. The Varsity 8+ crew continued its strong season, and posted a third-place finish, boasting two All-Big 12 selections. The Mountaineers season ended at the Conference USA Championship in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where WVU finished in sixth place, just one point behind Kansas.

At West Virginia 2011-12
During the 2011-12 season, King guided multiple crews to top-10 finishes, as well as medal finishes, during the fall and spring seasons. Four medals were earned at the Head of Ohio in Pittsburgh, including first-place finishes by the Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+ crews. At the Head of the Kanawha, King guided two shells to first-place finishes.

Additionally, King coached the Varsity 4+ to a top-five finish at the Head of the Schuylkill, and earned three medals at the Frostbite Regatta. During the course of the spring season, King oversaw the advancement of all four crews to the Knecht Cup Regatta Grand Finals for only the fourth time in program history, including two top-10 finishes.

At West Virginia 2010-11
King guided the team to several medals and top-10 finishes in the 2010-11 season. At the Head of Ohio season opener in Pittsburgh, King led the Varsity 8+ and one doubles shell to a Gold medal as well as a second doubles shell to a silver medal. In addition, he coached the Mountaineers to top-10 finishes in the Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+ events at the prestigious Head of the Schuylkill.

Furthermore, he saw the Varsity 4+ ‘A’ crew improve from previous years to earn a silver medal for the third year in a row at the Head of the Occoquan.
Other notable performances included a silver medal finish by the Varsity 8+ at the Occoquan Sprints, a fifth-place finish at the Knecht Cup Regatta (only the second time in program history the Mountaineers had qualified for the Grand Finals), and a sixth-place finish at the Big East Championships (the first time since 2005 the Varsity 8+ has reached the Grand Finals at Big East).

King’s success with the team was not only limited to the water, but the program also saw its second All-American, as senior Rachel Viglianco earned the honor twice. Viglianco was named the CoSIDA Capital One All-America Women’s At-Large Second Team, and to the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s All-America team.

In addition, five rowers were honored by the CRCA as National Scholar-Athletes, with junior Shannon Gribbons named to the All Mid-Atlantic Region First Team. Gribbons became the first rower from WVU to earn this honor.

At West Virginia 2009-10
The 2009-10 season served as the foundation for success, as King developed the athletes that led the team the following season. Notable results included a third-place finish from the Varsity 8+ at the Head of the Ohio, and a first-place finish at the second annual Head of the Mon in the fall season.
In the spring season, the Varsity 8+ crew finished first at North Car¬olina, and recorded a second-place finish at George Mason. The crew also rowed to a first-place finish in the petite finals at the Big East Championships, and a second-place finish in the petite finals at the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship.

King was also instrumental in implementing the second-ever Head of the Mon in the spring of 2009. The Head of the Mon was a home regatta for the Mountaineers that included competition from Dayton, Duquesne and George Mason.

Additionally, four members of the team were honored as CRCA National Scholar-Athletes.

At West Virginia 2007-09
In his first two seasons as head coach, King saw great success with the Varsity 4+. King coached the Varsity 4+ to a second-place finish at the Head of the Ohio, respectively, as well as a first-place finish at the Head of the Occoquan and a first-place finish at Dayton. The Varsity 4+ also earned a second-place finish at the Knecht Cup, and a first-place finish in the petite finals at the Big East Championship. In addition, the crew placed fourth at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta.

Prior to WVU
Prior to his time with WVU, King spent 10 years as the assistant rowing coach at Georgetown, where he was responsible for directing the men’s heavyweight squad, and for the day-to-day operation of the women’s heavyweight program.
While at Georgetown, King also provided administrative support to the part-time coaches of the women’s lightweight program, as he helped institute the lightweight program for the Hoyas in 1999.

In 2001, King served as coach of the U.S. National Team Lightweight Women’s Pair, which won the gold medal at the U.S. Rowing Championships in the Elite 2- and Lightweight 2-, and a silver medal at the FISA World Rowing Championship in the Women’s L2-.

Prior to Georgetown, King served as coach for the men’s varsity crew squad at George Washington during 1996-97. He also served as the assistant coach and head coach of the men’s and women’s crew teams at Bucknell from 1990-96.

King has also served as a coach for the Navy Rowing Camp each year since 2005. A six-day summer camp for girls ages 13-18, the camp places emphasis on technique development and personal improvement.

Personal
Currently, King serves as a member of the NCAA Division I Women’s Rowing Committee, the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Board of Directors and as the chair of the CRCA Division I Awards Committee.

King also served as a member of the CRCA Division I Polling Committee from 2004-09, president of the Big East Coaches Association from 2010-11, and as vice president of the Big East Coaches Association from April 2004 – April 2006.

King is a 1990 graduate of Bucknell, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in legal studies.