Jim Dietz
	Position: Head Coach Experience: 18th Season Alma Mater: Northeastern '72

Now in his 18th year at the helm of the University of Massachusetts women's crew team, Jim Dietz has molded his program into one of the nation's finest.

The only crew coach in UMass history, the Minutewomen have dominated regular-season racing and have captured 13 Atlantic 10 team championships, including the 2009 crown, under Dietz's direction. His squads have produced 54 Atlantic 10 gold medals in 14 league championship events, including nine in 13 starts by his varsity eight boats. For his efforts, Dietz has been honored as Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year on seven occasions, the last of which came in 2005.

Dietz led the Minutewomen to their 13th conference title in 2009, after finishing second in 2008 to Rhode Island. Massachusetts defeated the defending champions by 24 points in the conference championships, 141-117. UMass took five gold medals in the championships, highlighted by a first place finish in the Second Varsity Eight. In addition to the team championship, three Minutewomen were named First Team All-Conference.

Recognized internationally for his coaching ability, Dietz will be inducted into the National Rowing Hall of Fame in March of 2010, and was also elected as the Vice Chair to the Board of Directors of USRowing in February of 2010. He guided UMass to a fourth-place team finish at the 1998 NCAA Championship in Gainesville, Ga., and his varsity eights earned silver medals at both the 1997 and 1998 NCAA meets. Six of his student-athletes have earned a total of seven Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association All-America citations.

Dietz's success does not end on the water, though, as his program has produced a league-leading 32 Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference performers, 12 Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association National Scholar Athletes who have earned a total of 29 citations, and four U.S. Rowing Association Academic All-Americans. In addition, his teams annually lead UMass' Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll selections.

Before coming to Amherst to start the UMass program from scratch, Dietz spent nine years as the head coach of the Coast Guard Academy crew program (1985-1994). Though his primary responsibilities were with the men's heavyweight eight, he was also in charge of the overall program which included four assistant coaches and over 90 student-athletes.

Dietz's crew experience began in 1964, when he competed for the New York Athletic Club in all classes of rowing and sculling events. As a high school student, he won all United States and Canadian Scholastic championships in single and double sculls from 1964 through 1967, and won the first Junior World Championship in single sculls at Ratzeburg, Germany, in 1967.

During his competitive years, Dietz won 45 United States and 37 Canadian national championship titles. He was a member of almost every U.S. National Team from 1967-1983, including U.S. Olympic entries in 1972, 1976 and 1980. In addition, Dietz captured medals at the Pan American Games in 1967, 1975, 1979 and 1983. He was also a member of seven World Championship teams.

A 1972 graduate of Northeastern University with a bachelor of science degree in marketing, Dietz has been inducted into the Northeastern University Hall of Fame, as well as the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) Hall of Fame. A Veteran Award winner of the NYAC and a Power Ten Award winner of Manhattan, Dietz also earned the prestigious Athlete of the Quarter Century honor for his past performances at the Head of the Charles Regatta.

Since 1976, Dietz has been involved with the United States Olympic Committee, and in both 1988 and 1992 he served as the U.S. Olympic Quad coach in Seoul, South Korea, and Barcelona, Spain.

In 1987, Dietz founded the Thames River Sculls, a non-profit sculling center. Over the years, members of this program have won numerous titles at the U.S. Scholastic championship and U.S.R.A. Elite Nationals. Several members have gone on to race for the United States on World and Olympic teams. The Thames River/Pre-Elite women's crews have participated in the Nation's Cup Regatta (under 23 World Champion- ships) winning the 1996 meet in Belgium.

Dietz coached the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team in Sydney, Australia, taking the bronze medal in the women's lightweight double. In 1999, he coached the U.S. National Team, taking medals at both the Pan American Games and the World Rowing Championships. In 2003, his women's lightweight double finished fourth at the World Championship in Milan, Italy.

Dietz, and his wife Pamela, reside in Amherst with their two sons, James II (26) and Michael (23).

Last Updated: June 16, 2010