The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Lenington, Allen join Rowing coaching staff
07.18.2014 | Rowing
Head coach Dave O’Neill completes his first coaching staff at Texas with the hires of Mary Lenington and Mara Allen as assistant coaches.
AUSTIN, Texas -- University of Texas head rowing coach Dave O'Neill announced Friday the hires of Mary Lenington and Mara Allen as assistant coaches on his first coaching staff with the Longhorns.
"I could not be more pleased to have Mara join the staff and to have Mary step back into coaching here at Texas," O'Neill said. "Mary and Mara are wonderful people and hard workers, and they really know rowing. They have been very successful in our sport, and it's going to be a lot of fun working with such terrific people."
Lenington transitions into an assistant coach position after serving the last two seasons at Texas as a special assistant for operations under former head coach Carie Graves, who announced her retirement in May.
Lenington brings a wealth of coaching experience to the Longhorns. She initially came to Texas in 2008 and served as a graduate assistant for three seasons. Lenington was the head rowing coach for one season at Nova Southeastern University, whom she led to a third-place finish at the 2012 NCAA Division III Rowing Championship.
She was an interim assistant coach at Williams College (spring 2008) and helped the school to victory at the 2008 NCAA Division III Rowing Championship. A U.S. Junior Team Development Camp Coach from 2007-2011, Lenington also served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Stanford (2006-07).
Lenington led Wisconsin to three national titles (2004-06) at the Collegiate Lightweight National Championships as the head coach of the Badgers' varsity lightweight rowing program (2003-06). She served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Rhode Island (2001-03) after breaking into the coaching ranks at her alma mater, Central Florida, in 2000.
"Mary is an incredibly talented and successful coach, and I'm really excited to work with and learn from her," O'Neill said. "Her attention to detail and ability to get things done is invaluable, and she's really driven to see this team succeed. The fact that she's been working with the team in a couple different capacities will make the transition much easier. In fact, this has already proven to be the case."
Allen comes to the Forty Acres from St. Ignatius College Preparatory School in San Francisco, where she served as the women's freshman rowing coach. She served as an assistant coach last summer at the U.S. Rowing Development Sculling Camp.
Allen was an elite rower herself in the collegiate and international ranks. She trained with the U.S. Women's National Rowing Team from 2008-12 and helped the Americans to gold at the World Rowing Championships in 2009. Allen helped the U.S. to bronze at the 2010 World Rowing Championships, and she won bronze for the U.S. at the 2009 Under-23 World Rowing Championships.
Allen rowed for four years under O'Neill at California and helped the Golden Bears to NCAA team titles in 2005 and 2006. She earned first-team All-America honors in 2007 and 2008 and served as Cal's team captain both seasons. Allen was the 2005 Pac-10 Conference Newcomer of the Year and helped the Golden Bears to three Pac-10 Conference titles.
"I'm thrilled that Mara will be heading to Austin to join my staff," O'Neill said. "She's passionate about our sport and has always been a hard worker. I had the pleasure to work with her while she was a student-athlete at California, and she has shown a real talent for coaching, as well."