Gonzaga University Athletics

Marisa Wortman enters her second season as head coach, after joining the Gonzaga staff in the fall of 2015 as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. She had previously spent six seasons at the University of San Diego.

Gonzaga won its fifth-straight West Coast Conference title, advancing to its fifth-straight NCAA Championship during Wortman’s first year. Both the varsity eight and second varsity eight boats closed the season with their fastest times of the season; the V8+ ran away with first place in the D Final with a time of 6:27.391 (19th place overall), more than six seconds ahead of the second-place boat. The 2V8+ posted a season-best 6:45.029 to finish third in the D final with a 22nd-place finish overall. Gonzaga’s young V4+ boat continued to improve throughout the season, finishing second (20th overall) in the NCAA Championships D Final with a time of 7:40.689. The Bulldogs overcame a full boat deficit, walking through Marist to claim second.

Gonzaga swept the WCC conference championship awards in 2019 as Lauren English was selected as WCC Rower of the Year, Alexa Jadallah collected her third-straight WCC Coxswain of the Year title, Grace Cahalane was tabbed Newcomer of the Year and Wortman collected Coach of the Year honors. 

During her time at GU, the rowing team has gone undefeated at the WCC Championships and advanced to the NCAA’s every year. The Zags have had 16 All-WCC selections, four-straight WCC Coxswain and Newcomer of the Year winners, three Rower of the Year selections, and 56 All-Academic Team members, along with 2016 All-Region and All-American selection Kara Soucek. In her first season on staff in 2016, Gonzaga finished a program-best 16th at the NCAA Championships and earned the CRCA Region 5 Staff of the Year.

At the University of San Diego, Wortman was the novice coach, recruiting coordinator and assistant coach while earning her master’s in executive leadership. During her time at USD, the team won three WCC Championships (2011, ‘12, ‘14) and earned their first bid to the 2014 NCAA Championships. She assisted in the development of two All-Americans in Michelle Campbell and Nneka Anyanwu, one WCC Rower of the Year, three WCC Coxswains of the Year, two WCC Newcomers of the Year, 16 All-WCC honorees and five all-region selections.

A native of San Diego, Calif., Wortman rowed at the San Diego Rowing Club in high school and was recruited to the University of Tennessee. During her time at UT, the Lady Vols reach the highest USRowing/CRCA ranking in program history at No. 4 and competed in three consecutive NCAA championships. Wortman finished her career in UT’s only boat to reach the grand finals at the 2008 NCAA Championships, finishing fifth. The Lady Vols were first at the 2007 Head of the Charles in their event and Wortman was named UT’s Howard Adlmon Lady Volunteer of the Year. Wortman was a perpetual member of the Lady Vols Honor Roll and SEC Honor Roll, and earned Thornton Center All-Academic Team honors. 

In the community, she helped organize projects including work at Habitat for Humanity, Special Spaces and Big Brothers and Big Sisters, among others and was named a Coca-Cola Community All-American from 2006-2008. 

She earned her masters of science in executive leadership from San Diego in 2015. Her husband was formerly Navy Special Forces and they have two daughters, Whitney and Wellesley.