ITHACA, N.Y. – Andy Noel, the Meakem*Smith Director of Athletics and Physical Education, has announced that Eric Carcich (car-sich) has been named the Staley Head Coach of Women's Rowing. Most recently the head women's rowing coach at George Washington, Carcich comes to East Hill with more than 20 years' experience, including 10 seasons in the Ivy League.
 
"I would first like to thank Andy Noel, Anita Brenner, Liz Dennison, and the entire coaching staff that helped through the interview process," said Carcich. "The opportunity to work in Cornell's rich academic environment, filled with talented student athletes, was something that immediately excited me about the position. Cornell has the infrastructure and the brand to attract top athletes, and I am thrilled with the opportunity to become the next Staley Head Coach of Women's Rowing at Cornell. I look forward to meeting and getting to know the talented group of student-athletes currently at Cornell as we work together to get faster on the water and better in the classroom. My wife and I are very excited to move our family to Ithaca and begin the next phase of our lives."
 
A two-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, Carcich transformed GW over the course of 10 seasons from a program that consistently finished in the bottom half of the conference standings into a perennial challenger with four top three finishes in the last six years.
 
"I am excited about Eric taking the reins of our women's program," said Noel. "With his drive and experience, I am confident that there are bright days ahead for our Big Red women."
 
Carcich's 2018 team had one of the best regular seasons in program history with record finishes at the Princeton Chase, the Murphy Cup, the Knecht Cup, and the Mason Invite. The team went on to place all four boats on the medal stand at the Atlantic 10 Championship to earn a program-record 44 points. That success came on the heels of a 2017 campaign in which the Colonials went four-for-four at the A10 Championship for the first time in program history.  
 
Prior to his time with the Colonials, Carcich served as the assistant heavyweight coach at Penn for three seasons, following a seven-year stint as the assistant lightweight coach at Yale.
 
Carcich coached the Quaker freshmen crew to a ninth place finish at the 2008 Head of the Charles, a fourth place finish at the 2008 Princeton Chase, and a gold medal at the 2008 Navy Day Regatta.
 
While in New Haven, Carcich led the Bulldogs' freshman squad to seven medals at the Eastern Sprints Championships. His lightweight first freshmen eight won gold at the 2002 Eastern Sprints, after a silver medal performance in 2001, and a bronze medal finish in both 2000 and 2003. Yale's lightweight second freshmen eight earned gold at the 2000 Eastern Sprints, as well as a silver in 2001 and a bronze in 2003.
 
A 1996 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Carcich started his coaching career at his alma mater, serving as the head rowing coach from 1997 to 1999. While in Amherst, his lightweight varsity eight crew captured silver medals at the 1998 New England Championship and the Champion Regatta. In his first year of coaching he saw the lightweight freshmen eight take the gold medal in the New England Championships and the Champion Regatta, while the heavyweight freshmen eight won the bronze at the New England Championships.
 
A native of Albany, N.Y., Carcich and his wife have a 1-year old son, Wilder.