Galloway, NJ – Stockton University has hired Chris O'Brien as Interim Head Rowing Coach/Associate Director of Athletics for Athletic Development. O'Brien comes to Stockton after 16 years as head women's rowing coach at Thomas Jefferson University. He also served as Assistant Director of Athletics-Athletic Advancement at Jefferson.
In addition to his coaching duties, O'Brien will serve as Associate Director of Athletics for Athletic Development, working in conjunction with the Stockton Office of Development & Alumni Relations on fundraising initiatives for the athletic department. He is expected to assume his roles at Stockton in late August.
O'Brien was the Jefferson head coach since the inception of the women's rowing program in 2006. During his tenure, he coached the Rams to six berths in the NCAA Championships (2008 varsity eight, 2009 team, 2019 team, 2015 varsity eight, 2019 team, 2022 team). O'Brien's teams finished third at the NCAA Championships in 2010 plus fourth in 2009 and 2022.
Under his guidance, Jefferson captured three medals at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta (2007 F/N8 first place, 2012 V4 third place, 2021 V4 second place). O'Brien coached rowers who earned a total of nine All-American honors while competing for the Rams, and he was the national chair of the NCAA Division II Women's Rowing Committee from 2010-14.
O'Brien began his coaching career at Monsignor Bonner High School in 2002 and spent five years as the head freshman coach. In 2004, he made school history by leading the freshman eight to titles at the Catholic League Championship, Stotesbury Cup and High School National Championship, marking the first time that a Bonner freshman crew won all three titles in one season.
O'Brien competed as coxswain at Monsignor Bonner and Villanova University, winning every major regatta at the high school level and then winning a Dad Vail gold medal and competing in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships at the collegiate level. He still competes internationally as a coxswain.
O'Brien will assume the coaching role from John Bancheri, who was instrumental in elevating Stockton women's rowing during four years as the program's first full-time head coach. Bancheri led Stockton to its first-ever varsity eight gold medal at the Dad Vail Regatta, its best-ever finish at the Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference Championships with second place and a national ranking of 14th in the final 2021 Pocock/CRCA Division III poll .
