Jenkins Named KU Assistant Rowing Coach
Aug. 3, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas rowing head coach Rob Catloth announced that George Jenkins will join his staff as an assistant coach.
For KU rowing, Jenkins will serve as the recruiting coordinator and help to coach the varsity team.
“We’re real excited about bringing George into the staff,” said head coach Rob Catloth. We’re building off of the boathouse and looking to improve our coaching staff. George will bring experience and enthusiasm and help us work our way to a top-20 team.”
Jenkins comes to Kansas from the University of California at Davis where he was an assistant coach since July, 2008, recruiting and coaching the Ags’ novice team. Under Jenkins, the UC-Davis Second Novice Eight won the gold medal at the 2009 Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) championship and took first place in the petite final of the Pac-10 Conference championships.
Prior to his stint at UC-Davis, Jenkins spent seven and a half years as executive director/head coach of the Austin Rowing Club (ARC) in Austin, Texas. In this, Jenkins guided numerous ARC national championships including six Master’s Championships in 2006 and a San Diego Crew Classic title in 2007.
A native of Palo Alto, CA, Jenkins graduated from UC-Davis in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in molecular genetics. His rowing coaching experience dates back to 1989 when he was a member of the staffs at the U.S. Olympic Festival for two years. Jenkins then was the UC-Davis women’s rowing varsity coach in 1990 and the Ags’ men’s rowing varsity coach from 1991 to 1993.
Following his first stint at UC-Davis, Jenkins served as the Director of Rowing/Head Coach at Southern California from 1993 to 2002 before moving to the Austin Rowing Club. While at USC, he was on the coaching staffs for the U.S. junior national team in summer 1993 and the U.S. national squad in summer 1997.
From 1987 to 1990 Jenkins was the Executive Director of the Newport Aquatic Center where he oversaw all operations at a 500 member rowing club and coached rowing on all levels including juniors, masters and elite.
Jenkins’s first rowing coaching position was as the Novice Coach for the UC Davis Men’s Crew. There he coached the Ag’s to a gold medal in the PCRC Novice Men’s eight. He also panned special events aimed at better alumni and parent support.
