Bill Zack has been named the head coach of the newly formed University of Portland women’s rowing program, Portland Director of Athletics Larry Williams announced on Friday. Zack joins the Pilots after serving the previous nine years as an assistant coach with the UCLA women’s rowing team. He will finish the spring season with the Bruins and join the Pilots in a full-time capacity on June 1.
“Bill Zack is the ideal person to develop our new women’s rowing program,” Williams said. “We have built a highly successful athletics program on the foundation of great coaches and teachers that are hard-working, intelligent and competitive. Bill fits that mold and will make a great addition to the University of Portland family because of his desire and talents at developing young people. He has a history of program-building and is not only a great teacher, but also a noted leader within the rowing community.”
Zack, who is president of the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) after serving many years on the Board of Directors, has an extensive history as a successful rowing coach at both the collegiate and national team levels. Prior to his stint with UCLA, Zack served as head coach of the Sacramento State women’s team for six years and one season as men’s head coach at Old Dominion. His involvement with USRowing began as a manager in 1989 and led to a team leader position for the Olympic Games, Pan-American Games, World Rowing Championships and Junior World Rowing Championships. Zack has also been the play-by-play announcer for nine NCAA Championships.
“I feel very honored and privileged to have been selected as the first head coach for the University of Portland women’s rowing team,” Zack stated. “The university has excellent academic offerings and a very strong and well-managed athletics program. I look forward to helping to develop a program that will make the university proud and to compete successfully in the West Coast Conference. Everything is in place to have an awesome rowing team; the Portland boathouse facility and equipment, academic support, athletic performance coaches, sports medicine personnel, team locker room, ergometers, office space and much more. I’m excited to start the process on June 1.”
Zack’s primary responsibilities at UCLA have been coaching the varsity fours and serving as the program’s recruiting coordinator. Last spring, Zack helped the Bruins earn their first-ever team berth to the NCAA Championships and the women’s four earned a bronze medal at the Pac-10 Championships. He also coached the novice eight to the Pac-10 Championship in 2003 and a bronze medal in 2007.
At Sacramento State, Zack helped elevate the rowing program to new heights. Under his tutelage the program implemented a strength and conditioning program, increased scholarships and improved the rowing equipment. Competitively, he led the Hornets to a bronze medal in the varsity four at the 1997 NCAA Championships and two consecutive Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) titles in 2000 and 2001. Zack compiled a 36-10 dual meet record at Sacramento State and was named the WIRA Coach of the Year in both 2000 and 2001.
While at Sacramento State, Zack served as the marketing and promotions director and was the school’s resident expert in regatta management when the university hosted the NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships in 1997 and 1999 at Lake Natoma.
Zack’s involvement with USRowing also is prevalent with the Women's Junior National Team at both the selection camp and development camp levels. He has coached multiple crews to USRowing National Championships and to victories in CanAmMex competitions. He coached the women's junior squad to a 13th-place finish at the 2008 Junior World Rowing Championships.
Zack rowed at the collegiate level for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where he graduated in 1980. In 1986, he earned his master's degree in business administration from the Yale School of Management. He retired from the Coast Guard in 1996 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Other coaching stops along his career path came as the elite lightweight women's coach at the Long Beach Rowing Association (1994-1995), three years as the women's head coach at Long Beach State (1991-1994) and a six-year coaching stint at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (1986-1991).