Willamette University Women's Crew

Knickerbocker is in her third year as the head coach of rowing at Willamette University. Knickerbocker has considerable coaching experience, both at the NCAA Division III level and with rowing clubs. Knickerbocker joined the Bearcat coaching staff midway through the fall of 2013. I was most interested in Willamette because I feel a connection to the mission of the university, Knickerbocker said. Willamette clearly has a strong NCAA Division III philosophy of balancing the whole person with academics, athletics and service to others In addition, I see a program with great potential for growth and the opportunity to achieve a high level of competitive success. Knickerbocker has previous NCAA Division III coaching experience at Mills College (Calif.) and at Mount Holyoke College (Mass.). She was the novice rowing coach at Mills in 1998-99 and served as the interim head rowing coach in 1999-00. At Mount Holyoke, she was an assistant rowing coach from 2003 through 2005. In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Knickerbocker has spent many years as a successful coach at the junior and master club level. Knickerbocker was the head coach and program director at Northampton Youth and Community Rowing in Massachusetts from 2000 through 2005. She increased youth rowers from 20 to over 100 in one year, and implemented a masters rowing program that grew from four members to 20 members in one year. She served as the head coach and program manager at the East Bay Rowing Club in Oakland, Calif., from 2011 through 2013. Her efforts increased the number of adult rowers from 39 to approximately 70. Knickerbocker earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Biology from Mills College in 1997. She received a Master of Science degree in Exercise and Sport Studies with an emphasis in intercollegiate coaching from Smith College (Mass.) in 2003. She completed U.S. Rowing Level III coaching certification in 2001.

Dewey is in her first season as an assistant rowing coach at Willamette University. Dewey joins Willamette after being a coach and instructor with the Sammamish Rowing Association in Redmond, Wash. "I'm excited to welcome Alyssa to Willamette and Willamette rowing," Head Coach Reba Knickerbocker said. "She will bring great enthusiasm to the position as well as a strong desire to join me in growing the program. Her experience as a rower at Western Washington, a junior's coach, and an NSCA certified strength and conditioning coach, will help to establish a strong competitive program and will be a great compliment to my vision for Willamette rowing." Dewey said that she was looking forward to joining the Bearcat rowing program. "I was interested in the position at Willamette because its a full-time assistant coaching position, which is very rare, and allows me the awesome opportunity to work full-time at what I am most passionate about -- spreading my love of the sport to other rowers while working hard on and off the water to create competitive crews. She will also be moving closer to her hometown. She is a native of Bend, Ore. A graduate of Western Washington University, Dewey competed in rowing all four seasons. She helped the women's varsity 4+ win the NCAA Division II Championship in 2011. That same year, the WV4+ took first place at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships. She contributed to the women's varsity 8+ claiming first place at the WIRA Championships in 2012. The Vikings went on to take second place in the WV4+ at the 2012 NCAA Championships. In 2012, Dewey gradated from Western Washington with a bachelor of science degree in Kinesiology. She earned a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist credential from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Dewey will be primarily responsible for coaching the novice rowers, but will also assist with the varsity rowers and will help handle administrative duties. "The upcoming season should be very exciting," Dewey said. "The team is currently pretty small and we have a unique opportunity to grow the program and create a culture of hard work, speed, and, of course fun! I fully believe that Willamette is in the early years of building a powerhouse rowing program."