HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth Athletics and Recreation Department announced on Wednesday that Nancy LaRocque has stepped down as head coach of women’s rowing. LaRocque, who will remain in her position through the end of July, recently completed her third season leading the Big Green, which included improvement at the Ivy League Championship.
 
“The Dartmouth community is extraordinary,” said LaRocque. “I can’t thank our athletes, parents and alumnae enough for their support along the way. I’ve made great friends and memories in the Upper Valley and will miss the magic of the Connecticut River. It’s truly been an honor to be an Ivy League head coach. The future of Dartmouth women’s rowing is bright, and I look forward to witnessing the continued growth this team is capable of.”
 
LaRocque’s first season was in 2020-21, which saw limited competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the form of two May regattas. The Big Green improved each of the next two seasons, culminating with the second and third varsity eights outperforming their seeds at the Ivy League Championship to advance to their respective grand finals. The 2V beat Columbia in the morning heat while the 3V topped Harvard. The varsity eight also earned a convincing victory over Cornell in the petite final while the varsity four was victorious in its petite final as well. Also of note, the Big Green swept all the racing in their Senior Day home regatta against UMass and MIT.
 
Individually, senior Lucy Handy was named to the All-Ivy League First Team, along with garnering Academic All-Ivy for a second straight season. Junior Jenna Martin was named second team All-Ivy. 
 
“I want to thank Mike Harrity for being a solid sounding board and incredibly supportive to me throughout this personal decision-making process,” said LaRocque. “My fiancé Russ lives in Wisconsin, and being apart for three years has been more of a challenge than we hoped. It’s been a remarkable journey for me at Dartmouth, and I am grateful for the experience.”
 
“We are fortunate to have had Nancy as the head coach of our women’s rowing program for the past three years,” said Harrity, Haldeman Family Director of Athletics and Recreation. “She has been a great teacher and mentor for our students. We understand and respect her decision, and we wish her and her family all the best as they begin this new chapter.”
 
A national search for the program’s next head coach will begin immediately.