HISTORY

The University of Alabama’s Rowing Team was established in 1987 by a small group of college students. At the time, the team was a co-ed recreational activity where students could bond and interact. Their home was underneath the porch of the Cypress Inn, a well-known restaurant on the Black Warrior River at the time.

In 1997, the team saw the arrival of athletes with rowing experience who desired change. They transformed the team’s mentality, fostering a more competitive attitude and practicing more frequently. One year later, they would welcome their first head coach, Larry Davis.

Davis and his wife moved to Tuscaloosa so she could start a new job, which left Davis, who had a decorated rowing resume, looking for something new. He rowed for the University of Virginia, held head coaching jobs at Marist College and the University of Alabama-Huntsville, and was an assistant coach for the 1983 U.S. Men's National Rowing Team. 

In January 1998, Davis became the first official head coach of the team, moving them out of the Cypress Inn and turning the club into one of the South’s most successful programs. 

During his time with the team, Davis led them to new heights, including expanding their competition from regional to national for the first time by making the trip to their first Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia in the spring of 2005. 

Shortly after, Women's Rowing was announced as a varsity sport at the university, effective fall 2006. Davis was hired as the Head Coach for the varsity program, where he would stay until his retirement in 2018. The men’s team was now separate from the women’s.

Davis’s departure left the Men’s team looking for a new coach. Alison Pollini, a former rower for the team, stepped up as head coach of the program. Pollini continued the team's successful track record with multiple medal finishes at Head of the Hooch. In 2010, Pollini stepped down as head coach. This led them to rely on volunteers and student-coaches. Former team members, including Jason Cottingham, Kylie Forbes, Erik Glynn, helped lead the program to greater success. Erika Baranek and Leigh Ann Lazarus, both former rowers for the women's team, took the role of head coach and novice coach in 2012. Another volunteer assistant coach in particular that arrived in 2012 was Daniela Susnara.

Susnara would become the team's permanent head coach in 2013, ending years of uncertainty. Under Susnara, the team continued to excel, expanding their competition further around the United States. In the fall of 2014, the team sent a Varsity 4+ to the Head of the Schuylkill in Philadelphia for the first time. 2017 proved to be a pivotal and impressive year for the team. The Varsity 8+ traveled to the West Coast for the San Diego Crew Classic, followed by the ACRA national championship. In the fall, the team competed at Head of the Charles for the first time in a few years, finishing with an impressive 10th place in the Collegiate 4+ event. 2018 was no different. The team traveled to Philadelphia for the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, followed by a 9th overall finish at the ACRA national championship in the Varsity 4+. A few months later, the team was back in Boston for Head of the Charles.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 proved to be a difficult time for the team, reducing the roster to fewer than 10 athletes. The future was uncertain, and a team rebuild would need to happen.

Thanks to an impressive 2022 Novice class, the team slowly regained its footing. A new atmosphere, mentality, and desire for improvement emerged. The 2023 and 2024 Novice classes put the team back on the map with four combined Head of the Hooch medals and notable finishes at SIRA, with a 2023 Novice 4+ 1st place finish and 2024 Novice 8+ 4th place finish.

The 2025 Novice class placed 3rd at Head of the Hooch and finished 5th overall in the Novice 8+ event at SIRA against very tough competition. They posted the fastest Novice 8+ time in team history and spent 3 weeks mentioned on the ACRA poll, finishing their season ranked 12th in the country. 

The Varsity athletes also saw pivotal success in 2025, with a 16th overall finish in the Collegiate 4+ event at Head of the Charles, a 2nd place at Head of the Hooch in the Varsity 8+, and a 4th place B final finish in the Varsity 8+ at SIRA against funded programs. This was the first time the team had fielded a Varsity 8+ at SIRA in eight years and placed extremely well. Because of an outstanding 2025 season, Susnara was awarded the ACRA South Region Coach of the Year.

As of 2025, the team is performing at a historic best, financially and performatively. The future is promising with many pivotal milestones in sight. Row Tide!