Boston University

AWARDS

• CRCA Lightweight National Staff of the Year (2024)
• CRCA Lightweight Regional Staff of the Year (2024)
• IRA Lightweight Double Gold Medal (2024, 2025)
• IRA Lightweight 4+ Silver Medal (2024)
• One CRCA All-American
• Four CRCA Scholar-Athletes

COACHING TENURE AT BU
Mary Foster recently completed her second season as the head coach of the Terriers in 2024-25. She is the second head coach in Boston University program history at the varsity level.

During that campaign, Foster saw the Terriers finish third overall at the 2025 IRA National Championship Regatta. BU repeated as the Lightweight Double gold medalist while earning fourth in both the Lightweight 4+ and 8+. Earlier in the spring, BU regained the Beanpot title with a Varsity 8+ victory over Harvard-Radcliffe and MIT. The Terriers also repeated as Lightweight 8+ victors at the Knecht Cup to retain the Danielle Kousoulis Memorial Trophy. BU also captured the Ann Harris Smith Memorial Trophy with the program's first-ever Varsity 8+ gold medal. That success piggybacked a fall slate with success at the Head of the Charles Regatta in October of 2024, where BU's Lightweight 8+ posted the top collegiate time. The boat garnered its second straight silver medal in the event with a time of 16:29.965, just .689 seconds off the Australian club crew that was first. BU's top Championship Doubles crew also notched the fastest time among collegiate boats in 19:13.923.

In her first year as head coach, BU finished third overall at the IRA National Championship Regatta. BU's Lightweight Double captured the program's fourth national title in the event at the IRA Championship. The Lightweight 4+ earned silver at the regatta for the third time in program history and first time since 2021. BU also earned the Konrad Ulbrich Team Trophy to win the Eastern Sprints for the third time ever, and first since 2019.

Following her first spring, Foster and BU competed in the famed Henley Women's Regatta for the first time in the program's tenure in the summer of 2024. All five of BU's entries advanced through their time trials, and the Terrier Four reached the semifinals in the Aspirational Academic 4-.

After the 2023-24 spring season, Foster and the coaching staff were named the CRCA Lightweight National and Regional Staff of the Year. She helped senior Maecy Rickman receive CRCA All-American honors for the first time in her career, while four Terriers were named CRCA Scholar-Athletes.

PRIOR COACHING EXPERIENCE
Foster was named the second head coach in BU Lightweight Rowing program history in August of 2023.

"I am thrilled to extend a warm welcome to Mary Foster," said Director of Women's Rowing Malcolm Doldron at the time of her hiring. "Her deep regard for the student-athlete journey, exceptional expertise, and passion for the sport create a powerful blend that will undoubtedly drive our team to remarkable achievements both on and off the water. I'm excited for our collaboration ahead."
 
Foster arrived to Commonwealth Ave. following five years as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with the Harvard-Radcliffe lightweight women's rowing program. During her tenure, Radcliffe has had four crews finish top-four in the IRA National Championship Regatta, including silver medals for the 2x and 4+ in 2023 and 2022, respectively. At the most recent Holland Beker Regatta, she guided Radcliffe's U23 double to a second-place result.
 
"I am thrilled and honored to step into the role as head coach of Boston University lightweight rowing," said Foster. "Since the start of the program 11 years ago, Malcolm Doldron has laid a remarkable foundation, and I am looking forward to working closely with him in his new role as director of women's rowing. I would like to thank Malcolm, [director of athletics] Drew Marrochello and [senior associate director of athletics] Brittany Kane for this opportunity to join the BU Athletics family."
 
Prior to her role as assistant coach, she was a volunteer assistant for the program for three seasons. During this role, she worked with the novice and third varsity crews across both the lightweight and openweight programs. Her efforts during the spring of 2018 led to a second-place finish for the openweight novice 4+ at the Knecht Cup and a bronze medal for the third varsity lightweight 8+ at the Eastern Sprints.

ROWING CAREER 
No stranger to the Charles River, Foster was a member of Riverside Boat Club in Cambridge, Mass for five years. She competed for the United States National Team in 2015, competing in the World Rowing Championships. There, she helped the lightweight women's 4- capture sixth place. Later that year at the Head of the Charles, she earned bronze in the lightweight women's 1x.
 
Foster was a former team captain at Loyola Marymount, where she was an All-WCC First Team selection in her senior year in 2011. In 2008, she helped the Lions' lightweight program win the IRA national championship in the 4+.

PERSONAL 
After earning her bachelor's degree in natural science from Loyola Marymount in 2011, Foster received her master's in athletic training from Bridgewater State in 2014.