PORTLAND, Ore. --- University of Portland women’s rowing head coach Bill Zack has accepted the head coaching position for the women’s rowing team at San Diego State University and will be leaving UP for SDSU at the end of the month. Zack has been instrumental in Portland’s successful transition to NCAA Division I status during the past two years.
 
“It’s been a great two years at the University of Portland,” Zack said. “I’m proud of how we were able to transition from club to varsity status, but most of the credit goes to the student-athletes and to the support staff of both the athletic department and the University. I’m looking forward to the challenge of helping San Diego State compete for the Conference USA rowing title.”
 
The Pilots recently concluded their second year as an NCAA Division I program with a third-place finish at the competitive WCC Championships. Previously, the Pilots claimed their second straight Collegiate Team Efficiency Trophy at the Covered Bridge Regatta on Dexter Lake in April.
 
Portland rowers consistently landed all-academic honors during Zack’s tenure, while both Mia Tarte and Hannah Dahlem landed on the All-West Coast Conference Team after the Pilots third-place showing at Lake Natoma.
 
Zack, who came to The Bluff after serving as an assistant coach at UCLA, also played a crucial role in the addition of several new boats to the UP fleet, which was made possible through a cooperative effort between the University, the Athletic Department and parents of UP rowers.
  
"We are grateful to Bill for his critical role in starting the varsity program here at UP, and wish him all the best in his new position as he returns to Southern California,” said Portland Athletic Director Scott Leykam. “We have already started a national search for the position and are committed to finding a head coach that will both build on the success of the past two seasons and also be a great fit for the University and the program."