Hannah Woodruff recently completed her sixth season as assistant coach of women's rowing at Boston University in 2022-23.
The 2022-23 program saw Woodruff guide BU to its second gold medal medal in a row in the Second Varsity 8 at the Patriot League Championship, marking the first-such instance since the Terriers joined the Patirot League ahead of the 2014 spring semester. As a team, BU was the runner-up after tying for first place in total points. At the 2022 Head of the Charles, the BU Club 4+ earned the bronze for the first time in nine years.
The first-ever first-place result for the Terriers in the 2V8 at the Patriot League Championship came in 2022, when BU won its second league title. In the 2022 NCAA Championships, the Terriers finished 19th with 23 team points, a six-point improvement from their prior appearance in the event in 2014.
During the 2020-21 season, Woodruff's fourth at BU, the Terriers advanced all of their boats to the grand finals at the PL Championship, earned a bronze medals in both the varsity eight race and second varsity eight competition and finished in third pace overall.
At the 2019 Head of the Charles, Woodruff helped coach the Terriers to three top-20 finishes among US colleges while competing against a large and deep field of the fastest boats in the country.
During the 2018-19 season, the Terriers advanced all of its boats to the grand finals at the Patriot League Championships, won bronze in the varsity eight grand final and placed fourth in the 2V8 and V4 races. The Terriers finished third overall as a team ahead of Georgetown, Lehigh, MIT, Colgate, Holy Cross and Loyola.
During the 2017-18 season, Woodruff's first at BU, the Terriers once again advanced all of its boats to the grand finals at the Patriot League Championships, earned two silver medals and finished as runner-up to Navy. BU defeated crews from Bucknell, Georgetown, Lehigh, MIT, Colgate, Holy Cross and Loyola.
At the 2018 Eastern Sprints, the Terriers varsity eight boat advanced to the grand finals and finished sixth overall. The V8 defeated Tennessee, Temple, Drexel, BC, MIT, UConn and Holy Cross and was named Patriot League Varsity Eight Boat of the Week.
Woodruff joined the Terriers in the summer of 2017 after spending the previous four seasons as an assistant coach at Wellesley College where she coached the second varsity eight boat. In 2016-17, Wellesley's 2V8 won bronze at the New England Rowing Championships (NERC), bronze at the National Invitational Regatta (NIRC), and silver at the NCAA Division III Championships.
In 2015-16, Woodruff coached Wellesley's 2V8 to a gold medal performances at both NERC and NIRC and then won silver at the NCAA Div. III Championship, helping Wellesley win the overall 2016 NCAA Div. III team title. After NCAAs, Wellesley's coaching staff was named Division III Staff of the Year.
In addition to coaching at Wellesley, Woodruff has also served as an assistant coach at Community Rowing Inc., Boston College High School and Cambridge Boat Club. Prior to her coaching career, Woodruff was a four-year coxswain at Wellesley College and served as co-captain her senior year. In 2011, Woodruff helped the Wellesley varsity eight boat finish third at the NCAA Championships and also won bronze at both the ECAC and NERC Championships. She earned second-team CRCA All-American honors in 2011 and received CRCA National Scholar-Athlete recognition in both 2010 and 2011.
Woodruff graduated cum laude from Wellesley College with degrees in economics and history (double major) in 2011.
Prior to Wellesley College, the Longmeadow, Mass. native was a three-year coxswain for the Phillips Exeter Academy girl's crew team and led her boat to the junior 8+ semifinals at the Henley Women's Regatta in 2007.
