Gobbo Named Loyalty Chair for Women’s Crew
8/22/2024 12:15:00 PM | Women's Crew
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Tessa Gobbo '13 has today officially been named Brown University's Loyalty Chair for Women's Crew by Mencoff Vice President for Athletics and Recreation M. Grace Calhoun '92, Ph.D. An Olympic gold medalist and 2024 inductee into the Brown Athletics Hall of Fame, Gobbo has spent the previous three seasons as Brown's Dahl Family Assistant Coach for Women's Crew.
Gobbo becomes just the fourth head coach in program history.
"Tessa Gobbo has as impressive a resume as you will find in the world of rowing, and we are absolutely thrilled that she will be adding the Loyalty Chair for Women's Crew to her long list of accolades," Calhoun said. "Tessa has a deep love for Brown. She will be an outstanding leader for our student-athletes and continue the proud tradition of our program."
During Gobbo's tenure with the team, the Bears have captured three consecutive Eastern Sprints Championships (2022-24) and top-10 finishes at each NCAA Championship. Eleven Bears have earned All-America honors during that time, and 51 student-athletes earned CRCA Scholar-Athlete recognition.
"I'm humbled," Gobbo said. "This team has a great identity, and I'm excited to continue that tradition. Brown is a fantastic institution with incredible student-athletes. Thank you to Grace Calhoun and our senior leadership team for this opportunity."
Before joining the staff at Brown, Gobbo spent two years as a volunteer assistant coach with the Boston University Women's Rowing program and earned a Master's in Education from BU in 2020.
As an athlete, Gobbo was a four-year letterwinner at Brown and captained the team as a senior in 2012-13. She earned First Team All-America honors as a junior. In 2011, she led Brown to its seventh National Championship in 15 years.
Gobbo won a gold medal for the United States at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. She rowed in the five-seat in the Women's Eight and helped the United States edge Great Britain for the gold.
Gobbo competed in four World Championships (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), earning one silver medal and three gold medals.
Gobbo will be enshrined in the Brown Athletics Hall of Fame in October.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT GOBBO
"We recruited Tessa, coached her for four years, stayed in touch during her years on the national team, and coached with her these past three years. She is the right person to lead this program forward in the next chapter. She knows how to race, she knows how to train, she knows how to work with student-athletes, and we have every confidence that she will bring great success to Brown Women's Crew."
"Tessa is a great person, passionate about our sport and rowing at Brown. She will be a fantastic leader and mentor to the women on the team and a great role model for all student-athletes at Brown. "
"Brown Women's Crew has a bright future with Tessa Gobbo at the helm. Beyond her obvious athletic achievements and love for her alma mater, Tessa is a singularly enthusiastic, caring, and capable leader of people. In the two years we coached together, I saw Tessa empower her rowers to reach their peak potential with honest feedback and humor. Collegiate athletes deserve leaders who can push them to achieve excellence while acknowledging and supporting their individuality. Bruno has that in Tessa. She is a powerful role model for all Brown rowers and will be a force for good in the future development of collegiate rowing."
"I'm thrilled for Tessa and to hear about her promotion! It certainly seems like the natural step, and I have no doubt she's well prepared to take on the role. She'll bring a great energy, great experience, and a real ability to relate to the student-athletes at Brown. She knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level and also understands first-hand the Ivy League experience, so I have no doubt she'll do well and continue the great tradition at Brown. I'm definitely rooting for her and am excited to see the impact she'll make on the program in this new role."
Gobbo becomes just the fourth head coach in program history.
"Tessa Gobbo has as impressive a resume as you will find in the world of rowing, and we are absolutely thrilled that she will be adding the Loyalty Chair for Women's Crew to her long list of accolades," Calhoun said. "Tessa has a deep love for Brown. She will be an outstanding leader for our student-athletes and continue the proud tradition of our program."
During Gobbo's tenure with the team, the Bears have captured three consecutive Eastern Sprints Championships (2022-24) and top-10 finishes at each NCAA Championship. Eleven Bears have earned All-America honors during that time, and 51 student-athletes earned CRCA Scholar-Athlete recognition.
"I'm humbled," Gobbo said. "This team has a great identity, and I'm excited to continue that tradition. Brown is a fantastic institution with incredible student-athletes. Thank you to Grace Calhoun and our senior leadership team for this opportunity."
Before joining the staff at Brown, Gobbo spent two years as a volunteer assistant coach with the Boston University Women's Rowing program and earned a Master's in Education from BU in 2020.
As an athlete, Gobbo was a four-year letterwinner at Brown and captained the team as a senior in 2012-13. She earned First Team All-America honors as a junior. In 2011, she led Brown to its seventh National Championship in 15 years.
Gobbo won a gold medal for the United States at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. She rowed in the five-seat in the Women's Eight and helped the United States edge Great Britain for the gold.
Gobbo competed in four World Championships (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), earning one silver medal and three gold medals.
Gobbo will be enshrined in the Brown Athletics Hall of Fame in October.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT GOBBO
"We recruited Tessa, coached her for four years, stayed in touch during her years on the national team, and coached with her these past three years. She is the right person to lead this program forward in the next chapter. She knows how to race, she knows how to train, she knows how to work with student-athletes, and we have every confidence that she will bring great success to Brown Women's Crew."
- John Murphy, Former Loyalty Chair for Brown Women's Crew, and Phoebe Murphy, Gratitude Chair Associate Head Coach
"Tessa is a great person, passionate about our sport and rowing at Brown. She will be a fantastic leader and mentor to the women on the team and a great role model for all student-athletes at Brown. "
- Tom Terhaar, Gobbo's Coach for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Director of Rowing at Columbia University
"Brown Women's Crew has a bright future with Tessa Gobbo at the helm. Beyond her obvious athletic achievements and love for her alma mater, Tessa is a singularly enthusiastic, caring, and capable leader of people. In the two years we coached together, I saw Tessa empower her rowers to reach their peak potential with honest feedback and humor. Collegiate athletes deserve leaders who can push them to achieve excellence while acknowledging and supporting their individuality. Bruno has that in Tessa. She is a powerful role model for all Brown rowers and will be a force for good in the future development of collegiate rowing."
- Madeline Davis Tully, Founder and Principal Coach at MDT Leadership; former Director of Women's Rowing at Boston University
"I'm thrilled for Tessa and to hear about her promotion! It certainly seems like the natural step, and I have no doubt she's well prepared to take on the role. She'll bring a great energy, great experience, and a real ability to relate to the student-athletes at Brown. She knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level and also understands first-hand the Ivy League experience, so I have no doubt she'll do well and continue the great tradition at Brown. I'm definitely rooting for her and am excited to see the impact she'll make on the program in this new role."
- Robert Weber - Head Women's Rowing Coach, Robert Morris University & Former United States National Team Coach
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