Laurel Korholz to Depart USRowing, Join Columbia University Staff

Princeton Head Coach Laurel Korholz, who coached the women's pair to a bronze medal at the 2022 World Rowing Championships last month, will be departing USRowing at the end of October to join the Columbia University staff as the assistant heavyweight rowing coach.

A fixture of the U.S. women's national team for the last 30 years -- first as an athlete and then as a coach -- the University of California, Berkeley graduate has represented the U.S. at every Olympic Games since 1996 in Atlanta.

Korholz, who took over as head coach of USTC-Princeton last December following the departure of long-time head coach Tom Terhaar, joined the U.S. coaching staff in April of 2005 as an assistant following an accomplished career as an athlete.

"I'm sad to go; but after nearly 30 years with USRowing, I'm looking forward to this new opportunity at Columbia University," Korholz said. "I'm excited to work with Tom (Terhaar) and Andrew (Hess) and the entire coaching staff at Columbia."

During her 18 years on the USTC-Princeton staff, Korholz was an integral part of the success of the women's program, helping guide the women's eight to 11 consecutive world and Olympic championships from 2006-2016 – a run that included three Olympic gold medals starting at the Beijing 2008 Games. In addition, the eight was back on top of the medal stand in 2018, as was the women's four, and the crew won bronze at the 2019 World Rowing Championships. During that same time, Korholz also helped guide the women's pair to five medals at the world championships.

On the sculling side, Korholz coached women's single sculler Kara Kohler to a bronze medal at the 2019 World Rowing Championships. She coached the women's quadruple sculls to a world title at the 2015 World Rowing Championships; and at the 2012 Olympic Games, Korholz led the U.S. women's quadruple sculls to a bronze medal – a first for the United States.

"Laurel has been a huge part of the USRowing organization for the past 30 years, first as an accomplished athlete and then as a tremendously successful coach," said USRowing CEO Amanda Kraus. "Her contributions to the U.S. Women's National Team are unparalleled, and I wish her the best of luck in her new position at Columbia University. We also look forward to continuing to work with Laurel as those opportunities arise."

As a rower, Korholz was an 11-time national team member, racing on three Olympic teams and winning a silver medal in the women's eight in 2004 in Athens. She was part of the silver medal-winning eight at the 1994 World Rowing Championships and the gold medal-winning eight at the 1995 World Rowing Championships. A versatile athlete, Korholz competed at the highest level internationally in both sculling and sweep rowing boats, having raced in the double sculls, quadruple sculls, and eight at the world and/or Olympic level.

USRowing would like to thank Laurel for her dedication to the organization, celebrate her tremendous success as a national team coach and athlete, and wish her the best of luck at Columbia University.