July 19, 2002

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.--Sarah Haney, a Tar Heel assistant coach for the past year, has been named head coach of the University of North Carolina women's rowing program. She replaces Joel Furtek, who resigned in May after five seasons as the program's head coach.

"When I joined the UNC club rowing team in 1995, I could never have guessed that seven years later I'd be coaching the varsity program," Haney said. "The reason I wanted this job is to provide students with the opportunity I had at Carolina."

Haney, a 1998 graduate of UNC, helped lobby for the rowing program's elevation to varsity status at North Carolina and was a member of the school's first varsity squad in 1997-98. She served as a volunteer assistant coach in the fall of 1998 while completing her undergraduate degree. Upon graduating with a double major in English and exercise and sports science, she joined the Carolina staff on a fulltime basis for the spring of 1999.

She then spent two years at the University of Wisconsin as assistant coach of the lightweight women's team. Her novices won the Eastern Sprints championship in 2000 and finished second in 2001. Haney returned to UNC as an assistant coach in July of 2001 and directed the team's novice rowers last season.

A native of Southern Pines, N.C., and a graduate of Pinecrest High School, Haney began rowing as a North Carolina sophomore and captained the UNC club team in 1996 and 1997.

"I'm excited about this appointment, for Sarah and for UNC," said UNC director of athletics Dick Baddour. "Sarah has been a part of the rowing program since its earliest days. She has earned tremendous respect in the rowing community, and she well understands the University's commitment to the proper balance of academics and athletics."

The UNC rowing program, which is heading into its sixth season with varsity status, competes in the fall and spring semesters, with tryouts for new team members held in September. This year's novices will join a strong core of veterans and the program's first class of recruited freshmen. "We have a great group of hardworking student-athletes returning and they'll be joined by some outstanding recruits," Haney said. "I'm excited to see what we can do."