Sauer Adds Dare Shoop and Baynham-Williams to Coaching Staff
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Lindsay Dare Shoop and Morgan Baynham-Williams have been named assistant rowing coaches at the University of Virginia, head coach Kevin Sauer announced Wednesday (Aug. 23).
Shoop starred at UVA from 2002-04, earning back-to-back All-America honors in 2003-04. The three-time world champion helped the Cavaliers to three ACC championships and three top-6 finishes at the NCAA Championship. In addition, Shoop was a member of the USRowing National Team, earning a gold medal in the women’s eight at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
“It has taken me 20 years to find my way back,” Shoop said. “I feel like I am indeed exactly where I have been meant to be all along – paying forward the great gift I was given more than 20 years ago here at UVA.
“I am excited and honored to get to coach alongside some of the truly best coaches and people that I know while getting to inspire the possibility within this new generation of Hoos!”
Over the past decade, Shoop has been a youth rowing program director and has coached at every level from junior through elite. Shoop, who has twice been inducted into the National Rowing Hall of Fame, also leads camps, clinics, webinars and workshops. She has also published several articles on rowing and health and serves as a race commentator, having covered events for NBC Olympics, ESPN, ACC Network, NCAA and USRowing.
“I’ve obviously known Lindsay for a long time since finally talking her into giving rowing a try in her junior year at UVA,” Sauer said. “Following her illustrious career has been a pleasure and I’m very excited to welcome an Olympic gold medalist back to Grounds. I look forward to her helping us improve our process of high performance excellence.”
Baynham-Williams has coached crews to Henley Royal Regatta victories and World Cup medals for Leander Club and Great Britain, respectively. She is also a world-class coxswain, guiding crews to gold at the 2022 World Rowing Championships and silver at the European Championships. Baynham-Williams earned multiple medals at the U23 World Championship from 2013-15 and is a two-time Henley Royal Regatta winner (2021-22) and winner of The Women’s Boat Race for Oxford in 2016.
“I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with the remarkable team at the University of Virginia,” Baynham-Williams said. “The coaching staff boasts an inspiring level of expertise from which I am eager to learn and gain invaluable insights. I can’t wait to get to work in aiding the UVA women in their pursuit of building boat speed!”
“Knowing Morgan only a couple of months has not minimized my impressions of her incredible academic and athletic accomplishments,” Sauer said. “EVERY single person I talked to about her sang her praises and I am thrilled to welcome her to UVA!”