UMass turned to an alum to keep the momentum going within the rowing program.
Eric Carcich, a 1996 graduate who rowed for the men’s club team and later coached the squad, was named the Minutewomen’s new coach Wednesday by UMass athletics director Ryan Bamford. Carcich spent this past season as Cornell’s rowing coach after 10 seasons leading Atlantic 10 rival George Washington.
He replaces Jim Dietz, who had been the program’s only coach during its first 25 years as a varsity program.
“Eric is a dynamic leader who has an exceptional coaching pedigree, including important experience leading two successful Division I programs,” Bamford said in a statement. “Eric’s energy, his passion for the sport and his proven ability to connect with the women he has coached will be a wonderful asset for our program. I am supremely confident Coach Carcich will drive competitive success on the water and will be just as diligent in providing a first-class student-athlete experience that supports academic and personal growth.”
Carcich made a significant impact in his one year at Cornell, leading the Big Red to their best season in six years. He coached two All-Ivy League rowers this past season.
He arrived at George Washington in 2009 after spending the previous 10 years of his career as a men’s assistant coach at Yale and Penn. He quickly built the Colonials into a contender in the Atlantic 10, twice being named the conference’s coach of the year. He helped the Colonials finish in the top-three at the A10 championships four times in his nine-year tenure.
FAMILIAR FOE — Arkansas State and UMass have agreed on a home-and-home deal for football for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
The Minutemen will travel to Jonesboro, Arkansas, on Nov. 12, 2022 while the Red Wolves will make the trek to Amherst on Oct. 7, 2023. UMass’ home matchup with Army that was originally slated for Nov. 12 was moved two weeks to Nov. 26
At the moment, UMass is scheduled to play seven road games among the 11 scheduled for the 2022 season, but athletics director Ryan Bamford wrote in a text Wednesday that the schedule is still fluid in an attempt to reach the goal of an even split of six home and six road games. Among those seven road contests are five straight to begin the season, one of which is primed to be moved to obtain the necessary balance.
Arkansas State might be a new opponent for UMass as an institution, but first-year coach Walt Bell and his staff are very familiar with the Red Wolves. Half of UMass’ coaches have some ties to Arkansas State, including Bell, who was the offensive coordinator for two seasons in 2014-15.
He overlapped in Jonesboro with four of his UMass assistants — co-offensive line coach Micah James (offensive graduate assistant), running backs coach Fredi Knighten (player), special teams coordinator and receivers coach Luke Paschall (same position) and strength coach Matt Shadeed (same position). Defensive line coach Cedric Douglas came to UMass this year after spending the past two years as a graduate assistant at Arkansas State.
The Minutemen are set to open the 2019 season on Aug. 30 at Rutgers at 7:15 p.m.