CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia Rowing head coach Wesley Ng announced Wednesday (Sept. 2) the promotion of assistant coach Taylor Ruden to associate head coach.
Ruden has helped the Cavaliers to a 10th-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2025 and fourth-place showing in 2026. Ruden coached UVA’s Second Varsity Eight to a third-place finish at the 2026 NCAA Championships. In addition, the Cavaliers have finished second at the ACC Championship in each of Ruden’s two seasons on Grounds.
“I’m excited and grateful to announce that Taylor Ruden has been promoted to associate head coach,” Ng said. “Taylor has earned this opportunity through the quality of her coaching and the trust she has built with our athletes, coaching staff, and team around the team. I value her creativity and principled approach, and she does not take shortcuts with people or performance. I especially appreciate that Taylor challenges us, thinks deeply about our approach, and listens first before offering multiple angles to help us work through the puzzle of creating an NCAA Championship-worthy program.
“In this role, Taylor will have greater responsibility across the program as we continue our pursuit of an NCAA Championship. I trust Taylor’s judgment, just as I trust the rest of our outstanding staff, and I’m fortunate to work alongside her. She is a special coach, and I’m proud that her next step is here at Virginia.”
Ruden arrived in Charlottesville after serving as assistant coach at Ohio State from 2020-24. She helped the Buckeyes to the Big Ten Championship in 2022 and four NCAA championship appearances, including a top-10 finishes in 2021 and 2022. She coached the Buckeyes’ Second Varsity Eight to gold at the 2023 Big Ten Championships and eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
In Ruden’s first season at Ohio State in 2020-21, the Buckeyes finished second in the Big Ten and sixth at the NCAA Championships. Ohio State finished 12th at the NCAA Championship in 2023 and 2024. Ruden coached eight All-Americans at Ohio State.
Ruden also spent one-year as an assistant at her alma mater Indiana in 2019-20 and three seasons at Navy from 2016-19. While with Navy, she was part of a staff that earned back-to-back CRCA Region 2 Staff of the Year honors as the Midshipmen earned Patriot League titles in her two seasons.
During her time as a student-athlete in Bloomington, Ruden competed as a coxswain with the Hoosiers’ crew team. She coxed the Varsity Four to a 13th-place finish at the 2015 NCAA Championships and Varsity Eight to a 16th-place national finish as a senior in 2016.