SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga Director of Athletics Mike Roth announced Monday afternoon that Andrew Derrick has been hired as the head coach of the women's rowing program, after having spent the last four seasons as the head coach at Seattle Pacific.
 
"I am extremely excited to be given the opportunity to join the Gonzaga family," Derrick said. "I was fortunate to work with and get to coach some amazing people at Seattle Pacific, so leaving them is extremely difficult.  However, when given the opportunity to be a part of such a highly successful department with impressive momentum connected to such a respected university, my wife and I knew it was the right decision for our family.  I am honored to be chosen to represent Gonzaga, grateful to be trusted to mentor its already impressive student-athletes to help them achieve their potential, and am very much looking forward to the day we get together and get to work!"
 
The Cincinnati, Ohio native has 23 years of coaching and rowing experience, most recently with the Falcons. Since beginning with Seattle Pacific in 2016, Derrick rebuilt the program from four members upon his arrival to 35 members in just over two years. Under Derrick's guidance, Seattle Pacific competed in national regattas for the first time in nearly a decade while returning to the national polls.
 
"We want to welcome Andrew Derrick and his family to Gonzaga, and we are excited about the knowledge and experience he brings to the program," Roth said.
 
The Falcons were competitive and collected several victories against Division I opponents including several West Coast Conference programs. In 2019, the Falcons placed fourth at the NCAA Championships, and prior to the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Seattle Pacific ranked No. 4 nationally in the CRCA/U.S. Rowing Coaches national poll.
 
"We are really excited to have Andy lead our women's rowing program moving forward," Deputy Director of Athletics Chris Standiford said. "It is a great hire for us out of an extremely talented and deep pool of candidates. Andy has all of the attributes we were looking for in our next head coach, and we can't wait for him to get here and take this proud program into the future."
Prior to SPU, Derrick rebuilt the women's rowing program at Central Oklahoma from 2011-16, directing the team to the program's first-ever bid to the NCAA Championships in 2011. The Bronchos qualified for the NCAA Championships every year during Derrick's head coach tenure, finishing as the National Runner-Up in 2016. He produced the first All-American in the program's history, producing a total of 11 during his time in Edmond.
 
Derrick arrived at UCO from Oklahoma where he helped start the rowing program as an assistant coach in 2008. He spent two seasons in Norman, collecting a 112-28 overall record. Derrick was named the 2009 South Region Assistant Coach of the Year for his efforts. Prior to his time at Oklahoma, Derrick served as the assistant rowing coach at Central Florida from 2006-08.
 
Before the start of his coaching career, Derrick spent two years working for Pocock Racing Shells in Everett, Wash., one of the nation's premier boat manufacturers. During his time with Pocock, Derrick served as an operations manager for its partner company, First Boat Co.
 
Derrick rowed at both the collegiate and international levels, competing for the University of Washington from 2000-04 while representing the United States in 1999 and 2001; he won a silver medal at the U-23 World Championships in 2001. As a Husky, Derrick was a three-time Pac-10 Champion, a two-time National Champion Runner-Up and the 2001 National Champion. He was selected to the 2004 Pac-10 All-Conference Team, and he was a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic Team member.
 
Derrick graduated from Washington with a Bachelor's degree in history and earned his Masters of Education in intercollegiate athletic leadership in 2008.
 
"I want to thank the entire search committee as well as everyone I spoke with along the way who made a very difficult situation in the midst of a pandemic into a very impressive, thorough and welcoming process," Derrick said. "One of the first things that jumped out at me through this process was how long most staff I spoke with have been Zags. In an industry where jumping around is the norm, I think the loyalty and desire to stay at Gonzaga speaks volumes to how the department values and supports its staff and student-athletes."