Cupini Wins CRCA National Coach of the Year in First Season at Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After elevating Tennessee's rowing program to a No. 3 national ranking and a program-best, third-place finish at the NCAA Championships in her first season with the Lady Vols, head coach Kim Cupini has been named the Division I National Coach of the Year by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA), as announced by the organization Friday.

In addition, Cupini's staff comprised of assistant coaches Karly Braun, Colleen Gillis, MJ Keys, Violette Legrand and David Hall, along with boathouse director Randy Duffy, collectively earned the CRCA's Division I Staff of the Year Award.

"The staff has been absolutely amazing this year," Cupini said. "They jumped at the chance to build Tennessee rowing and showed incredible dedication throughout the process. Their teamwork was impressive, and I loved working with them all year. I'm super proud of them and their recognition."

The recognition serves as Cupini's third 2024 Coach of the Year honor in her first year on Rocky Top, as she also won the Big 12 Coach of the Year Award on May 23 and was named the CRCA Region Three Coach of the Year earlier this week.

"The impact Kim has made on our rowing program in just one year is truly remarkable," said Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White. "The standard for excellence has been set with our record third-place national finish in the first year. We are excited to continue to see our program achieve new milestones under Kim's leadership."

Along with Cupini, Braun, Gillis, Keys, Legrand and Duffy were each in their first year at Tennessee during the 2023-24 season. Hall joined the program prior to the 2021-22 campaign.

Tennessee's assistant coaches worked quickly to not only build positive momentum in year one, but bring historic success to Knoxville in less than 12 months. Randy Duffy brings daily dedication in the Wayne G. Basler Boathouse, ensuring a first-class operation for Tennessee's student-athletes and coaches alike when competing both at home and on the road.

On the season, Tennessee's 1V8+ crew accounted for a stellar 44-4 boat record. Its Second Eight crew posted a 42-6 mark, while the 1V4+ boat capped the year at 38-9. That totals a combined record of 124-19 (.867) for the Lady Vols' trio of NCAA Championship crews.

As was announced last Friday, four Tennessee rowers and one coxswain earned spots on the CRCA Pocock All-America Team. Meg Flanagan, Sarah Abrams, Alice Fahey and coxswain Sasha Radovanovic each achieved First Team All-America status, with Emma Seawright earning All-America Second Team honors.

Prior to its quartet of First Team All-Americans in 2024, Tennessee's most recent First Team All-America selection was Chelsea Pemberton 20 years ago, in 2004. Pemberton (2004) and Kaitlin Bargreen (2003) were the only two previous CRCA First Team All-Americans in program history.

Each of those five Lady Vols also earned a spot on the All-Big 12 Team, marking the most such selections in a single season for Tennessee since joining the Big 12 Conference.

Tennessee tallied 118 points at the 2024 NCAA Championships, after tying a program-best finish at the Big 12 Championships by finishing in second place. At NCAA's in Sarasota, Florida, the Lady Vol 1V8+ and 2V8+ boats each placed third nationally, while the First Varsity Four crew posted a fifth-place national finish.

The Lady Vols officially opened the season with a home dual on March 29 versus Minnesota at Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. A Tennessee boat was victorious in each of the four races that day, with the 1V8+, 1V4+, 2V8+ and 2V4+ crews picking up wins.

At the Big Ten Invitational, which ran April 19-20 at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, the Lady Vols impressively won 14 of the 15 races in which they had a boat competing.

Tennessee's average margin of victory in its 14 wins was a whopping 9.031 seconds. There was at least one top-13 opponent in each of those 14 race wins. Tennessee's first varsity eight earned Big 12 Boat of the Week honors on April 24 following its performances.

The following weekend, April 26-27, Tennessee swept its 15 races en route to earning the Pocock Lake Wheeler Invitational Cup in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Then, at the Big 12 Championships—Tennessee's second trip to Sarasota on the season—the Lady Vols tied a program-best finish, placing second. Medaling in every event, Tennessee's 1V8+, 2V8+, 1V4+, 2V4+ and 3V8+ crews each put down the program's fastest-ever Big 12 Championship times, respective to boat classifications.

The CRCA Coach and Staff of the Year Awards are intended to recognize coaches whose teams have had outstanding success throughout the season and who have demonstrated a high level of professionalism and integrity.

2024 CRCA National Coaches of the Year
Division I: Kim Cupini (Tennessee)
Division II: Courtney Moeller (Western Washington)
Division III: Lily Siddall (Tufts)
Lightweight: Paul Rassam (Princeton), Mary Foster (Boston)

2024 CRCA National Staffs of the Year
Division I: Tennessee
Division II: Western Washington
Division III: Tufts
Lightweight: Boston

University of Tennessee Athletics

Cupini Wins CRCA National Coach of the Year in First Season at Tennessee

Players Mentioned

Sarah Abrams

Alice Fahey

Meg Flanagan

Sasha Radovanovic

Emma Seawright

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