Rowing: Ng to succeed Sauer as next UVA head coach

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Virginia has hired Wesley Ng as its second rowing head coach in program history, Director of Athletics Carla Williams announced on Thursday.

“Wes is both an established winner and a rising star in the rowing community,” Williams said. “He has a clear vision for excellence, for every aspect of our rowing program, which is central to Virginia Rowing.  He has a proven track record of developing student-athletes and competing at the highest levels. He is a person of high character with an incredible work ethic, and he will be a great fit within Virginia Athletics. Like all of us, Wes has a tremendous amount of respect for Kevin Sauer and what Kevin has created here at UVA. We are excited for what the future holds for Virginia Rowing under Wes’ leadership.”

Ng (pronounced ENG) takes over UVA’s storied program after serving as the head women’s rowing coach at the University of Pennsylvania for the last eight seasons. Under Ng’s leadership, Penn qualified for the NCAA Championship in each of the last three seasons, marking the first three times the Quakers have qualified as a team. Penn finished 11th at the NCAA Championship in 2022, sixth in 2023 and 10th in 2024.

“I am incredibly excited to step into the head women’s rowing coach role at the University of Virginia,” Ng said. “Taking over this storied program, with such a rich history of individual and team success, is humbling and inspiring. Kevin (Sauer) and the coaches and student-athletes of the past 29 years changed the trajectory of women’s rowing in the NCAA era through their leadership, dedication, and, most importantly, by being even better people. That resonated deeply with me.

“With the addition of Cal, Stanford and SMU to the ACC, our league is poised to be the most compelling league in the nation, and I am laser-focused on leading this program to new speed and success. I am deeply thankful that UVA Athletics shares my vision for a fulfilling and comprehensive student-athlete experience. I want to extend my gratitude to President Jim Ryan, Carla Williams and Steve Pritzker for their confidence in me. I cannot wait to get to know the wider Virginia Rowing community and find ways to strengthen our connection with the mission of the current team. My wife, Kate, son, A.J., and I are thrilled to join the UVA and Charlottesville community and look forward to getting down to work.”

Penn’s 10th place finish at the 2024 NCAA Championship marked its second top-10 finish at the event. The Quakers’ Varsity Eight and Second Varsity Eight each placed 10th, respectively, while the Varsity Four finished 11th. The Quakers also took second in the Varsity Eight (second straight year), Third Varsity Eight and Third Varsity Four at the Ivy League Championship.

The Quakers’ Varsity Eight finished fourth, the Second Varsity Eight took ninth and the Varsity Four finished 16th as Penn finished a program-best sixth at the 2023 NCAA Championship. Penn’s Varsity Eight placed second at the 2023 Ivy League Championship and the Second Varsity Eight finished third. Penn finished third in both the overall (66) and NCAA boat (38) point standings at the Ivies. The Varsity Eight went 32-3 during the regular season while the 2V8 was a staggering 29-1, the only loss coming at Princeton in the final race of the regular season. For his efforts, NG was named 2023 Ivy League and Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) D1 Region I Coach of the Year.

During Ng’s tenure, Penn totaled six CRCA All-America honors and 61 CRCA National Scholar-Athletes, including a program-high 12 in 2021, 2022 and 2024.

Prior to Penn, Ng spent nine years as the head women’s rowing coach at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. Under his leadership, the Bantams rowed at the NCAA Division III Championships every year and won their first NCAA team title in 2014.  Ng was named the 2014 Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Division III Coach of the Year, the ECAC Coach of the Year, the Joy of Sculling Collegiate Coach of the Year, and the USRowing Fan’s Choice Collegiate Coach of the Year. Trinity’s Varsity Eight also won a pair NCAA titles (2008 and 2015) under Ng.

Ng has spent four years on the coaching staff of the United States Under-23 National Team and was head coach of the United States Women’s team at the 2015 and 2016 Under-23 World Rowing Championships. He led the U.S. to gold medals in the Eights (twice), the Fours, the Four-without-cox and the pair. At the 2017 U-23 Worlds, Ng coached the U.S. pair to a bronze medal finish. Ng also was an assistant coach with the U.S. Women’s U-23 team in 2014, capturing three medals, including gold in the Eights and Four-without-cox and silver in the pair.

Before taking over the Trinity women’s program, Ng spent two years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Bantams’ men’s rowing program. His first college coaching experience came at his alma mater, Yale University, where he spent one year as an assistant coach with women’s rowing and one as the men’s lightweight freshman coach.

A 2002 Yale graduate with a bachelor’s degree in history, Ng rowed for the Bulldogs’ lightweight crew. He was a part of three EARC Sprints championships and won the IRA National Championship as a senior. Ng was a part of three undefeated seasons in the freshman, junior varsity and Varsity Eight boats and rowed at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta.

Ng holds a USRowing Association Level III Coaching Advanced certification and is a member of the NCAA’s Division III Rowing National Committee and the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee.