Bio

Reba Knickerbocker is in her third year as the head coach of rowing at Willamette University. Knickerbocker has considerable coaching experience, both at the NCAA Division III level and with rowing clubs. Knickerbocker joined the Bearcat coaching staff midway through the fall of 2013.

“I was most interested in Willamette because I feel a connection to the mission of the university,” Knickerbocker said. “Willamette clearly has a strong NCAA Division III philosophy of balancing the whole person with academics, athletics and service to others … In addition, I see a program with great potential for growth and the opportunity to achieve a high level of competitive success.”

Knickerbocker has previous NCAA Division III coaching experience at Mills College (Calif.) and at Mount Holyoke College (Mass.). She was the novice rowing coach at Mills in 1998-99 and served as the interim head rowing coach in 1999-00. At Mount Holyoke, she was an assistant rowing coach from 2003 through 2005.

In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Knickerbocker has spent many years as a successful coach at the junior and master club level.

Knickerbocker was the head coach and program director at Northampton Youth and Community Rowing in Massachusetts from 2000 through 2005. She increased youth rowers from 20 to over 100 in one year, and implemented a master’s rowing program that grew from four members to 20 members in one year.

She served as the head coach and program manager at the East Bay Rowing Club in Oakland, Calif., from 2011 through 2013. Her efforts increased the number of adult rowers from 39 to approximately 70.

Knickerbocker earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Biology from Mills College in 1997. She received a Master of Science degree in Exercise and Sport Studies with an emphasis in intercollegiate coaching from Smith College (Mass.) in 2003. She completed U.S. Rowing Level III coaching certification in 2001.