Wisconsin Names Head Women's Rowing Coach
June 12, 2002 | Women's Rowing
Athletic Director Pat Richter today named Maren LaLiberty as head coach of the University of Wisconsin women's rowing program. LaLiberty, the head women 's lightweight coach the past three years, replaces head openweight coach Mary Browning, who announced her resignation May 14 to pursue other personal plans. LaLiberty, 41, assumes her new duties effective Aug. 1.
Assistant Athletic Director John Jentz, who oversees the rowing program, said 'Maren has proven herself to be an outstanding recruiter and program builder at Wisconsin. Her student-athletes win medals, achieve academic honors and overall have great experiences. She will add tremendous excitement and expectation to the proud tradition of Wisco Crew.'
Currently in her third year as a head coach, LaLiberty has guided the Wisconsin lightweight eight to the top ranking in the nation the past two years. Ranked No. 1 most of the 2002 season, the Badgers barely placed second to Princeton for the second-straight year in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association national championship May 31 in Camden, N.J. LaLiberty's first year team placed third nationally. Her lightweight eight has also won such prestigious regattas as the Head of the Charles, San Diego Crew Classic and Eastern Sprints.
'It is an honor to be given the opportunity to oversee and nurture a program with a 30-year tradition of success,' LaLiberty said of taking over both women's rowing programs. 'The alumni take great pride in this program, and I feel a strong responsibility to uphold this tradition.'
LaLiberty served two years as the UW's novice lightweight coach prior to becoming the second head coach of UW's newest sport. She came to the UW program in the fall of 1996, working with the UW rowing program as a volunteer coach for the novice open crew. A longtime rowing competitor and former family practice physician in Madison, her 1999 novice crews were among the fastest in the UW boat house as they rowed to several top finishes at the Midwest Championship (1st) and Eastern Sprints (2nd).
Badger men's rowing coach Chris Clark feels, 'This new situation is great in it reflects the boom in women's rowing that we've experienced not just here but across the country. The old system (two head women's coaches) was really unwieldy to manage that many programs, that many coaches, that many people.'
'Maren is just the perfect person for the job, a great fit, ' Clark continued, 'It's really a dawn of a new era in Wisconsin Rowing, especially with the new boathouse being imminent on the horizon. It's pretty exciting and I'm looking forward to it.'
A native of Minneapolis, LaLiberty came to Wisconsin from the University of Minnesota where she was the head coach of the Minnesota Women's Crew Club for both the varsity and novice teams from September 1991 to May 1992. She learned to row while attending school at the University of Minnesota from 1981'83, serving as the team captain in 1983. She was a member of the lightweight four that took first at the 1983 National Collegiate Rowing Championship. From 1983'87, LaLiberty rowed at the Minnesota Boat Club of St. Paul where she became a member of the lightweight eight that finished fifth at the 1984 World Lightweight Rowing Championship.
Trained as a physician, LaLiberty received a bachelors degree in microbiology and Latin from Minnesota in 1984. In 1992, she earned her M.D. from the University of Minnesota Medical School. She did her family practice residency at St. Joseph 's Hospital in Minnesota from 1992'95.
