Stockton University Women's Rowing

Update 8/18/25 Chris O'Brien is in his fourth year as the head women’s rowing coach at Stockton. In addition to his coaching duties at Stockton, O'Brien serves as associate director of athletics for athletic development, working in conjunction with the Stockton Office of Development & Alumni Relations on fundraising initiatives for the athletic department.   Last year, O’Brien led Stockton to fourth place at the Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference Championships and a second consecutive bronze medal in the varsity eight at the Dad Vail Regatta. Under O’Brien’s direction, Stockton finished third at the MARC Championships and collected a bronze medal in the varsity eight at the Dad Vail Regatta in 2024.   In his first season at Stockton, O’Brien directed the Ospreys to an outstanding 2022-23 campaign in which the squad narrowly missed winning the MARC Championship by just one point. He coached the varsity eight to an undefeated spring slate of six regattas, including medals at the MARC Championships, Dad Vail and Knecht Cup, and he was voted MARC Coach of the Year.   O'Brien arrived Stockton in August 2022 after 16 years as head women's rowing coach at Thomas Jefferson University. He also served as Assistant Director of Athletics-Athletic Advancement at Jefferson.   O'Brien was the Jefferson head coach from the inception of the women's rowing program in 2006 through 2022. During his tenure, he coached the Rams to six berths in the NCAA Championships (2008 varsity eight, 2009 team, 2019 team, 2015 varsity eight, 2019 team, 2022 team). O'Brien's teams finished third at the NCAA Championships in 2010 plus fourth in 2009 and 2022.   Under his guidance, Jefferson captured three medals at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta (2007 F/N8 first place, 2012 V4 third place, 2021 V4 second place). O'Brien coached rowers who earned a total of nine All-American honors while competing for the Rams, and he was the national chair of the NCAA Division II Women's Rowing Committee from 2010-14.   O'Brien began his coaching career at Monsignor Bonner High School in 2002 and spent five years as the head freshman coach. In 2004, he made school history by leading the freshman eight to titles at the Catholic League Championship, Stotesbury Cup and High School National Championship, marking the first time that a Bonner freshman crew won all three titles in one season.   O'Brien competed as coxswain at Monsignor Bonner and Villanova University, winning every major regatta at the high school level and then winning a Dad Vail gold medal and competing in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships at the collegiate level. He still competes internationally as a coxswain.

Updated 8/18/25 Mollie Knoff is in her second year on the Stockton coaching staff. Her primary coaching responsibilities focus on the second varsity eight and novice boats. Last year, Knoff helped coach the second varsity eight to a bronze medal at the MARC Championships and a grand final qualification at the Dad Vail Regatta.   Knoff rowed collegiately at Drexel University from 2020-24, where she competed in 43 career races. In 2023-24, she was a member of the Drexel varsity eight that won gold medals at the Dad Vail Regatta and Kerr Cup and was named CAA Boat of the Week twice.   Overall, Knoff was a member of Drexel crews that captured gold medals at the Dad Vail Regatta twice, won the Head of the Charles in 2022 and qualified for the Island Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta in 2024. Knoff received the 2024 CAA Leadership and Sport Excellence Award in rowing for her work in the community, and she was a three-time CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll qualifier.   A native of Brigantine, N.J., Knoff received an invitation to join the US Rowing Under-23 team in 2024. She earned her Health Science degree with a minor in Exercise Science and Nutrition from Drexel and will begin pursuing her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy at Stockton in Fall 2025.

Updated 8/18/25 John Rosado is in his sixth year on the Stockton rowing staff, and he was elevated to the position of Women’s Rowing Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator prior to the 2022-23 season. Rosado has been instrumental in the growth of the program with his coaching and recruiting. He arrived at Stockton with over a decade of coaching experience, primarily at the high school level.   Rosado was the head girls rowing coach at Mainland Regional High School for a year and a half prior to his arrival at Stockton. At Mainland, he oversaw a squad of 43 student-athletes and four assistant coaches.   Rosado also completed stints as an assistant boy’s coach/head novice coach at Absegami High School from 2016-18 and as an assistant boys rowing coach at Mainland Regional in 2014-15. He also has coached locally for the Under the Bridge Rowing Club and Atlantic County Rowing Association.   Rosado served as a seeding committee member for the Garden State Scholastic Rowing Championships in 2018-19 and is certified by the United States Rowing Association as a Level 2 coach. He has won several medals in singles and doubles as a competitive rower. Rosado is employed as a firefighter in Gloucester Township.