SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Director of Athletics and Recreation Dan Coonan is pleased to announce John Wojtkiewicz has been hired as the head women's rowing coach at Santa Clara University.
Combining his tenure as head men's rowing coach at the University of Rhode Island and working with both the men's and women's programs at his alma mater, Boston University, Wojtkiewicz brings over seven years of Division I coaching experience to the Mission Campus in Santa Clara.
"John will be a terrific addition to our staff," said Coonan. "He came very highly recommended, and has a wealth of experience building programs. We love his work ethic and his clear vision for the program here at Santa Clara."
Wojtkiewicz did an exceptional job leading the men's program at Rhode Island from 2007-2009, guiding the Rams to a third-place finish in the varsity four event at the 2009 American Collegiate Rowing Association Championships. Wojtkiewicz elevated the men's team at URI from 16 to 30 varsity student-athletes and set new standards in annual fundraising.
An outstanding oarsman during his collegiate career at BU, Wojtkiewicz returned to the Boston campus in 2000 to help coach the Terrier men's team from 2000-2003 and the women's team from 2005-2007. Wojtkiewicz focused on developing BU's youngest athletes, helping build the Terriers into NCAA Women's Rowing Championship qualifiers in 2006.
"I'm already looking forward to the spring season," said Wojtkiewicz. "We have a lot of hard work to do before then but I know the student-athletes are eager to show their potential. I'd like to thank the administration at Santa Clara for giving me this opportunity and for their support."
Wojtkiewicz has a diverse background in professional leadership. He has worked as an intelligence analyst at the Impole Corporation in Watham, Mass. and represented The Yankee Group in Boston. More recently he was sales analyst for Canon Communications in Santa Monica, Calif. where he also served as the Varsity Rowing Coach at the Marina Aquatic Center Junior Rowing Club in Marina Del Rey.
Wojtkiewicz (pronounced 'voy-KEV-its') and his wife Sarah reside in Fremont. The couple has two kids, Sophie (3) and James (6 months).
