Jolene Williams - Assistant Women's Crew Coach - Women's Rowing Coaches

Jolene Williams

Title:
Assistant Women's Crew Coach
Email:
jtt37@drexel.edu
Phone:
x-3748

Jolene Williams joined the Drexel Rowing staff in 2009. Williams is the assistant women’s coach and the staff’s recruiting coordinator. She is responsible for the women’s freshmen program and also assists the coaching staff with the women’s varsity and second varsity boats.

During the 2014 spring season, Williams helped the women’s varsity eight and second varsity eight win the silver medal at the Dad Vail Regatta, crucial medals to help the team win the overall points trophy for the second straight year. She coached the women’s freshmen eight to a gold medal over 23 boats at the Knecht Cup, and she assisted the varsity eight to wins at the Kerr Cup and Kelly Cup. She also helped coach the women’s team that competed at the Murphy Cup.

The fall season finished on a strong note, as Williams helped guide the women to first-place finishes in all four of their events at the Frostbite Regatta. In a Head of the Schuylkill Regatta team win, Williams assisted the women’s second varsity eight to a victory over 40 boats. At the Navy Day Regatta, the women’s varsity eight and varsity four captured top 5 finishes under Williams’ watch.

In the spring 2013 season, Williams coached the women’s freshmen eight to victory at the Kerr Cup and assisted the second varsity eight to their second straight gold medal at the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta. She also coached the freshmen eight to top five finishes at the Murphy Cup Regatta, Occoquan Sprints, Knecht Cup and Kelly Cup. She assisted the women’s varsity eight team that won silver at the CAA championships and won the Kelly Cup for the second year in a row.

To begin the 2012 fall season, Williams helped coach the women’s varsity eight to the Governor’s Cup and the women’s second varsity eight to the Mayor’s Cup at the Rumson Boat Race. At the Frostbite Regatta, she coached the women’s freshmen eight to victory and assisted the first, second and third varsity eights in victory. Williams also coached the women’s freshmen eight to top three finishes at the Navy Day Regatta and the Head of Schuylkill and assisted the varsity eight team that finished 29th at the Head of Charles.

In the spring of 2012, Williams guided the women's novice eight to a gold medal finish at the 2012 Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta which marks the first gold medal victory for the women's program at that regatta. The women’s freshmen eight took first in the grand finals at the Murphy Cup, Bucknell Invitational and Kerr Cup. Under Williams, the freshmen eight boat placed second at the Knecht Cup, Kelly Cup and Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. She also assisted with the second varsity and varsity eight boats at the Dad Vail Regatta, Head of the Schuylkill Regatta and the Kelly Cup Championships.

In the 2010-11 seasons, Williams guided the women’s novice eight to a bronze medal at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta, second place at the Murphy Cup and a sixth place finish at the Dad Vail Regatta. She also led the women’s varsity four to a bronze medal finish at the CAA Championships. In her first season with Drexel, Williams assisted the varsity 8 towards the Elite Council Cup Championship at the Henley Women’s Regatta.

Williams served as Head Coach at Ocean City in the 2009 season where she led the women’s varsity eight boat to a second-place finish at the Stotesbury Cup, a sixth-place showing at the SRAA Nationals and received a bid for the U.S. Rowing Youth Nationals. She guided the junior eight to a second-place finish at the Philadelphia City Championships, fourth at the Stotesbury Cup and third at the SRAA Scholastic Nationals while her second eight placed third at the Philadelphia City Championships, third at the Stotesbury Cup and sixth at the SRAA Scholastic Nationals.

Prior to her stint with Ocean City, Williams served two years at St. Augustine Prep as an Assistant Boys Rowing Coach. In 2005, she helped guide the boat to a berth in the finals of the Philadelphia City Championships. Williams has a Level III U.S. Rowing Coaching Certificate and a Certificate of Instruction from Concept II.

An Avalon, N.J. native, she attended Holy Spirit High School where she medaled several times at the Philadelphia City Championships, Stotesbury Cup Regattas and SRAA Scholastic National Championship Regattas. Williams went on to row at Marist College where she competed in the varsity eight boat that claimed two Metro Atlantic Athletic Association Championships and a team conference title in 2002. Williams graduated Marist in 2002 with a degree in communication arts. Williams competes in triathlons and completed the Chesapeakeman Ultradistance Triathlon ironman in 2011.

Williams and her husband, Chris, reside in Philadelphia, Pa. with their newborn son.