University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Adds Two Coaches to Rowing Staff
July 26, 1999 | Women's Rowing
July 26, 1999
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - University of North Carolina women's rowing coach Joel Furtek has announced the addition of two assistant coaches, Jody Wilhelm and Jason Coffman, to the Tar Heel staff. Both have already assumed team responsibilities and will be in place as the Carolina program begins its third varsity season this fall.
"I couldn't be happier with the results of our coaching search," Furtek said. "In Jody and Jason we bring new faces, ideas and excitement to our program. Their demonstrated success and incredible work ethic should give us the final push in our quest for national competitiveness."
Wilhelm, formerly head coach and manager of the Oak Ridge (Tenn.) Rowing Association, will serve as the team's varsity assistant coach, a newly-created position. Wilhelm was coach and program director of the Sammamish Rowing Association in Redmond, Wa., from 1996-98 and as a collegian she captained the rowing team at Seattle University. "Jody is an outstanding technical coach and the consummate program manager," Furtek says. "She will be an excellent role model for our team. It is as though we have added a second head coach to the program."
Coffman will coach Carolina's novice rowers and replaces Pam Mork, who is now an assistant coach at Notre Dame. He brings four years of experience coaching novices on the collegiate level, three at Seattle University (1994-97) and one at the University of Tennessee (1998-99). He has also coached on the masters and juniors levels and from 1996-98 was head coach at Mt. Baker, one of the country's most successful high school girls' programs. He is a graduate of Seattle University. "Jason has an impressive record of creating lasting speed and doing so quickly," Furtek said. "I don't think there's a better novice coach in America."
The Tar Heels have made great strides in their two seasons as a varsity program. In 1998, the team earned a bronze medal at the NCAA Championships. Last season, Carolina's varsity eight boat was ranked in the nation's top 20 through most of the spring. UNC opens this year's schedule Oct. 9th on Lake Michie in Durham in the Duke Fall Invitational.
