PHOTO AND STORY COURTESY COLGATE ATHLETICS
HAMILTON – Jim Lister has been selected as the Colgate University head women’s rowing coach, announced Wednesday by Interim Vice President and Director of Athletics Yariv Amir ’01.
A veteran coach with nationally-recognized credentials, Lister brings more than 30 years of collegiate coaching experience across different NCAA divisions. He stays in Central New York after serving as the head men’s and women’s rowing coach at Hamilton College since 2019.
“Coach Lister has shown a deep commitment to this position from the moment it was first posted,” said Amir. “His experience at Hamilton as well as with Division I programs at academically rigorous institutions has prepared him well to support our high-achieving student-athletes both on and off the water. He has shown himself to be a very loyal leader who will build fantastic relationships with his team, within the athletics department, and on our campus.”
Well-respected within the rowing community, Lister was named Division III Coach of the Year for women’s rowing in 2021 after guiding his team to a second place finish at the NCAA Championship – the highest achievement in program history. He coached five All-Americans, including the first one in men’s team history, and 15 All-NESCAC team selections. Lister was also voted the 2021 NESCAC Women’s Rowing Coach of the Year.
Lister led the Hamilton women’s team to sixth place overall at the 2019 NCAA Championship as well as a sixth-place finish in the first Varsity 8. The women were ranked sixth in the final Division III Top 15 coaches poll of the regular season. As part of the historic campaign, Lister coached a women’s All-American and four rowers to All-NESCAC team honors. The women finished sixth in the Varsity 8 grand final at the National Invitational Rowing Championships and collected a pair of bronze medals at the New York State Collegiate Rowing Championships.
“I am incredibly honored to join the Colgate Women’s Rowing program,” Lister said. “I would like to thank Interim Vice President and Director of Athletics Yariv Amir, the search committee, and the athletic department for the opportunity to become a part of the community. I look forward to working alongside such a passionate and driven athletic department with a commitment to the student-athlete experience.
“I have profound respect for the work of former head coach Jess Detrick and the team’s progress under her leadership. I’m committed to building upon her legacy and moving the team forward in the Patriot League. I can’t wait to get started.”
Success on National Level
Hamilton’s women’s rowing team finished the 2022-23 season ranked No. 9 nationally. The Continentals finished third in the petite final (ninth overall) of the varsity eight at the 2023 National Invitational Rowing Championships/NESCAC Men’s and Women’s Rowing Championships. Hamilton earned a silver medal in the varsity eight at the 2023 New York State Collegiate Rowing Championships. Familiar with success in both men’s and women’s rowing, he guided the men’s program to fifth place at the Inaugural 2022 IRA Championship.
Recruiting Prowess
Lister played a key role in developing Hamilton’s recruiting prowess, annually overseeing the development of more than 60 team members. He was a critical contributor to the fundraising and consulting efforts for the opening of a new state-of-the-art 5,200 square foot boathouse, the Jason P. Andris Boathouse, located on the Erie Canal in Rome, N.Y., in May 2022.
Academic Honors
On the heels of another strong season, 20 women’s rowers and 14 men’s rowers were named 2023 National Invitational Rowing Championship All-Academic honorees. Hamilton rowers were well represented by coaches nationally with 15 women earning Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Scholar-Athlete honors and 12 members of the men’s team being named Scholar-Athletes by the Intercollegiate Rowing Coaches Association (IRCA). More than 30 student-athletes on his teams made the 2023 NESCAC Spring All-Academic Team.
Division I Experience
Prior to his post at Hamilton, Lister spent six years as an assistant women’s rowing coach at Syracuse University and served as the international recruiting coordinator and director of boathouse operations. He helped the Orange qualify for the NCAA Division I championships in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Under his guidance, Syracuse’s second Varsity 8+ finished in 11th place in each of the last two national championships. He coached the second Varsity 8+ to the Atlantic Coast Conference title and Boat of the Year honors in 2017. He helped the program climb from 21st to 13th in the season’s final Division I coaches poll within three years.
Lister spent 10 years serving as the recruiting coordinator for Duke University women’s rowing and was appointed the program’s associate head coach in 2012, when he was selected the 2012 CRCA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year for the South Region. Previous stops include Cornell, Wellesley, Saratoga Rowing Association, UAlbany, and Skidmore.
Professional Development
Lister also has coaching experience with a U.S. U23 pre-elite development camp, and he guided a women’s pair and four to gold medals at the Canadian Henley in 2014. He has managed the U.S. team at the U23 world championships in Brandenberg, Germany, and Prague, Czech Republic.
Personal
Lister earned his bachelor’s degree from the University at Albany and has his master’s in exercise science and coaching from Skidmore. He and his wife Meg have two children.
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