Ellen Minzner Named Director of Rowing at Merrimack College

USRowing announces that Ellen Minzner, Head Coach: Paralympic Disciplines and Boston Training Center, has accepted the position of Director of Rowing at Merrimack College. Minzner joins Merrimack following more than a decade  leading USRowing’s Para National Team to multiple podium appearances in international competition, culminating in the recent gold medal performance at the 2026 World Rowing Championships in the PR3 mixed four.  

“I am incredibly proud and grateful to USRowing for the opportunity to lead the U.S. Para team over the past 12 years," said Minzner. "I thank all the athletes and coaches for their trust, effort, and dedication that have shaped this program and my own coaching. I am excited to move into this next chapter of my career and lead the program at Merrimack College to its own new heights back on the Merrimack River, a place that has shaped my own rowing journey.”

Minzner began her coaching career after a successful competitive rowing career of her own. A five-time US National Team member, she is a two-time world champion, winning gold in the lightweight women's pair at the 1995 and 1996 World Rowing Championships.

She went on to coach at the collegiate and scholastic levels, including coaching positions at Wellesley College, Kansas State University and the University of California, Berkeley, as well as high school and community programs throughout Massachusetts. Her coaching career has also included work with Greater Lawrence Rowing, the Winsor School and Community Rowing, Inc.

Her work with USRowing's Para program began in 2013, when she became a Para national team coach. In 2019, she was elevated to Para High Performance Director, where she helped develop the U.S. Para rowing program into an internationally competitive team. Under her leadership, the PR3 mixed four consistently reached the podium, earning silver medals at the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Paralympic Games.

Minzner was named the USOPC Paralympic Coach of the Year in 2023 for her work with the U.S. Para national team. She became the third woman in history to receive the honor and the first high-performance USRowing coach to earn a USOPC coaching award.

Minzner has also been recognized by the athletes she coached. In 2016 and in 2024, she received the Order of Ikkos from the USOPC, an honor selected by athletes to recognize coaches who have made a significant impact on their Olympic or Paralympic experience.

Her commitment to expanding access to rowing has also left a lasting mark on the sport. In recognition of her work creating opportunities for Para athletes, the Head of the Charles Regatta named its LTA four with coxswain trophy the Ellen Minzner Trophy in 2021.

USRowing would like to thank Ellen Minzner for the enormous contribution she has made to the U.S. National Team and to the growth of Para rowing in the United States. Over more than a decade with USRowing, Minzner has helped build Para rowing into a nationally recognized and internationally competitive program. Her leadership has expanded opportunities for Para athletes, elevated the caliber of U.S. crews, and helped establish a foundation that will continue to benefit the sport for years to come. Her impact on Para athletics in the United States extends far beyond the results on the international stage, and USRowing is deeply grateful for her tireless commitment to making rowing more accessible and creating opportunities for athletes of all abilities.