Jenn Thomas has been announced as the Simmons University Novice Crew Coach by Director of Athletics Ali Kantor.
Thomas comes to Boston after spending the last three years with the Division I Fordham University. Beginning as a volunteer women's coach, Thomas quickly rose up the ranks to become the Rams associate head coach and recruiting coordinator. On the water, Thomas helped change a culture at Fordham. Under her leadership, she recruited Fordham's largest recruiting class in program history as well as coached the Rams to their second third place team points finish at A10s since 2000 and the V8 to their first medal since 2007. Additionally, the Rams also excelled the classroom earning a 3.5 team GPA in 2020 with 12 Rams receiving CRCA scholar athlete honors.
Prior to her time at Fordham, Thomas spent the fall of 2018 as the head coach of women's rowing at Franklin & Marshall College, where she led the varsity four to their second-best performance at the Head of the Charles.
Thomas also spent time as an assistant coach at UMass Lowell alongside head coach Mark Lewis, where she inherited a team transitioning from DII to club competition. The pair led the Riverhawks to the program's first New England Championship in 2017. In addition to her time at UMass Lowell, Thomas also spent two years as the Hollis-Brookline (N.H.) Cavaliers girls crew coach and a year leather the Director of Rowing at Lowell High School
Thomas began her career in coaching working with the walk-ons as a student at Endicott College. During her time at Endicott, she was the first intern working with the Institute for Rowing Leadership at Community Rowing Inc. and coached the Learn to Row Program. As a senior with the Gulls, Thomas took on the Head JV Girls position at the Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts.
A three-year captain and two-time coaches award recipient, Thomas graduated with a Bachelors of Science in sport management and a double minor in exercise science and international relations in 2014.
The Rhode Island native started her rowing career in the single at Narragansett Boat Club under Albin Moser. Thomas also was a four-year letter winner and two-year captain of the Prout School sailing team in Wakefield, Rhode Island.