The University of Minnesota named Alicea Strodel as its new women’s rowing head coach on Monday.
“It is an honor to be chosen to coach at Minnesota and within the Big Ten Conference, the best rowing conference in the country,” Strodel told Gopher Sports. “I’m excited to meet the women of Minnesota rowing, get to work and contribute to the success!”
Strodel will have her hands full as she looks to turn around a team that finished last in the 2019 Big Ten Rowing Championships, accruing only 46 points, 140 points behind the champion, Michigan.
The University hired Strodel away from her alma mater, Syracuse, where she served as the associate head coach beginning in 2016. Strodel had been with the Syracuse rowing team since 2007, where she began as an associate coach.
“I am so excited to welcome Alicea and her family to Minnesota,” Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle told Gopher Sports on Monday. “Her energy, enthusiasm and ability to motivate student-athletes both competitively and on a personal level will greatly benefit the members of our program. The future of Gopher rowing is extremely bright under Alicea’s leadership.”
As a student rower for Syracuse, Strodel went to the NCAA Championship three times in her four-year career. As a coach, she led Syracuse to the NCAA Championship competition the last three years.
