PORTLAND, Ore. – University of Portland women's rowing head coach Pasha Spencer is stepping down to pursue other career opportunities, Portland Vice President for Athletics Scott Leykam announced on Monday. Spencer joined the Pilots in the summer of 2013 and helped build a program that transitioned from a club team just two years earlier into a nationally recognized Division I varsity program. Spencer's last day on The Bluff will be June 30.
"I want to thank Scott Leykam and the UP administration for the opportunity to lead this amazing rowing program," Spencer said. "Portland is a great place to work and I have met a lot of wonderful people in my seven years here. I am proud of what we accomplished during my tenure. The timing is never right to leave, but an opportunity presented itself for me and my family and it was too difficult to turn down. I am fortunate to have been in the rowing world as a coach and director for 23 years. My next step is to pursue opportunities in sports management and leadership in the Seattle area."
"Pasha informed me that she was leaving the coaching profession and interested in pursuing administrative opportunities in athletics," Leykam said. "Pasha has provided great leadership and was an active and passionate member of our UP community. She worked hard to give our student-athletes the best chance to be successful, and her vision was vital in helping raise our program profile and resources."
Throughout her tenure, Spencer led efforts to build a boathouse at Vancouver Lake, fully replace an aging fleet, and strengthen recruiting connections and talent pools. The program is also looking forward to the construction of an on-campus boathouse located at the Franz Campus on the Willamette River with construction expected to begin later this calendar year.
Spencer guided Portland to fourth place finishes at the West Coast Conference Championships five times, while regularly placing numerous rowers on the WCC All-Academic Team. The team had 14 rowers named 2019 Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) National Scholar Athletes, second most among all NCAA Division I schools.
"I want to thank all of our student-athletes, past and present, for all of their contributions to our rowing program," Spencer added. "In the spring of 2021, Portland Rowing will celebrate its 10th year as a varsity program. A lot has been accomplished and with the construction of the new boathouse on the horizon, it is an exciting place to be with a lot of opportunities."
The search for a new head coach will begin immediately.
