Women’s Rowing Head Coaching Position Endowed

HANOVER, N.H. — A transformational gift from Katie and Bill McNabb '79 P'09 will endow the Head Coach of Dartmouth Women's Rowing. The fund, which will be named in memory of Bill's mother, will be called The Elizabeth C. McNabb Head Coach of Women's Rowing.

"I am so proud to be able to name this position after my mother because she had unbelievable discipline and perseverance and if you think about rowing, you think about discipline and perseverance," said McNabb. "It felt like a really nice way to reflect that and to pass that legacy onto the program."

McNabb was a four-year member (1975-79) of the heavyweight rowing program during his time in Hanover and he and Katie have been generous supporters of the Dartmouth Rowing program since graduation. McNabb's motivation to make this gift harkens back to the strong relationships he built with members of the women's rowing program in its early years, relationships that continue to this day.

"I've had the pleasure of being associated with the Dartmouth Women's Rowing since the early pioneers and some of my closest friends come from the women's program - they are incredibly special to me," said McNabb. "So, the opportunity to provide resources in perpetuity to ensure we have world-class coaches and world-class capabilities is really important. The sport itself is transformational and so many of the positive things in my life come from the decision to row at Dartmouth."

Dartmouth Women's Rowing continues its rise on the national stage, recently earning a Top-20 ranking for the first time since 2018. This breakthrough highlights the program's upward momentum and underscores the impact of donor support for helping our student-athletes maximize their potential. This past weekend the Dartmouth women's rowing team wrapped up a stellar performance at the Ivy League Championship on Sunday, with the varsity eight finishing in fourth place and the Big Green also coming in fourth in the team points standings with 27 points. With the fourth-place finish, the Big Green are in contention for an at-large bid into the NCAA Championship. The selection show is set for this Tuesday at 5 p.m. as Dartmouth is aiming for its first NCAA appearance since 2011.

"We are extremely grateful for Bill and Katie McNabb's generous gift, which will help fuel the continued national rise of the program under Head Coach John Graves' leadership," said Haldeman Family Director of Athletics and Recreation Mike Harrity. "We have extraordinary support for Dartmouth Rowing across all three programs and this investment will further reinforce that current and future rowing student-athletes will be highly supported to develop and thrive for years to come."

"No one has lived and breathed the 'One Boathouse' ethos more than Bill McNabb and this coaching endowment is just another example of his commitment to ensure sustained excellence across all three teams at the boathouse," said Graves. "I know I speak for our team when I say that we couldn't be more grateful to be rowing and coaching at Dartmouth during such a time of unprecedented cohesion and support within the boathouse."

This is the 27th position within the Department of Athletics and Recreation to be endowed during the last eight years. Endowments generate vital annual income to support a sport's most pressing needs — such as increased recruiting capabilities and innovative technology. Gifts to Dartmouth Rowing not only enhance the competitiveness of the rowing team, but they also provide a forward-thinking mix of physical, intellectual and leadership-learning opportunities which continue to elevate the student-athlete experience and support Dartmouth's mission to prepare students for a lifetime of learning and responsible leadership.

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