Since his appointment as head coach of Yale Women’s Rowing in 1999, Will Porter has established one of the most dominant, consistent, and respected programs in all of collegiate rowing. Now the longest-tenured head coach in program history, Porter has combined exceptional competitive results with a commitment to academic excellence, athlete development, and leadership, building a championship culture that thrives on and off the water.
Under Porter’s leadership, the Bulldogs have qualified for the NCAA Championship 22 times, including eight top-five finishes (2002 – 5th, 2004 – 2nd, 2007 – 4th, 2008 – 4th, 2009 – 2nd, 2022 – 5th, 2023 – 5th, 2025 – 2nd), and a remarkable 19 top-10 national finishes. His varsity eight crews have achieved a combined record of 229–58–1, making him the winningest coach in the history of Yale Women’s Rowing.
Yale has claimed six NCAA titles under Porter: four in the varsity eight (2007, 2008, 2010, and 2025) — the second-most among active Division I coaches — and two in the second varsity eight (2009 and 2022). The 2007 varsity eight capped an undefeated season (Yale’s first since 1979) by winning the NCAA Championship. His crews have consistently peaked in the postseason, with the 2004 and 2025 teams finishing second overall at NCAAs — the highest placements in program history. Yale’s varsity eight holds the NCAA record time of 6:06.138, a benchmark set under Porter’s direction.
Regionally, Porter’s squads have dominated Ivy League and Eastern Sprints competition. Yale has captured four Ivy League Championships, six Willing Team Trophies for overall team supremacy at Eastern Sprints, and three Ivy League Team Points Championships in 2018, 2020, and 2025.
Internationally, Porter has elevated Yale’s presence on the global rowing stage. Yale has reached the semifinals of the Remenham Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta five times, and in 2022 the varsity eight advanced to the final of the Island Challenge Cup. Additionally, the program has earned three Women’s Henley Regatta titles, further establishing Yale as a force on both sides of the Atlantic.
Porter’s crews have also excelled at the Head of the Charles Regatta, earning 14 titles, including seven in the Championship Eight (2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2023, 2024) and seven in the Club Eight (2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2018, 2023, 2024).
Beyond team success, Porter has developed some of the top rowers in the world. Ten Yale athletes coached by Porter have competed at the Olympic Games, including:
- Rachel Jeffer ’07 (USA alternate, 2008 Beijing)
- Taylor Ritzel ’10 (Gold Medal, USA 8+, 2012 London)
- Ashley Brzozowicz ’04 (2008 Athens Canada 8+, Silver, Canada 8+, 2012, Canada Alternate 2016)
- Tess Gerrand ’10 (Australia 8+, 2012)
- Jamie Redman ’08 (USA alternate, 2012)
- Kristi Wagner ’15 (USA 2x, 2020 Tokyo; USA 2024 Paris)
- Christina Bourmpou (Greece 2-, 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris)
- Margaret Hedeman ’23 (USA 8+, 2024 Paris)
- Daisy Mazzio-Manson ’20 (USA 4-, 2024 Paris)
Additionally, he has coached 10 senior national team members and 43 U23 national team selections — a testament to his program’s depth, athlete pipeline, and world-class development standards.
In the classroom, Yale Women’s Rowing has matched its athletic success. Porter’s athletes have earned:
- 54 CRCA All-America honors
- 89 All-Ivy selections
- 159 CRCA Scholar-Athlete awards
- 27 Academic All-Ivy honors
Porter’s accolades include being named CRCA National Coach of the Year in both 2007 and 2025, CRCA Region 1/New England Coach of the Year seven times (2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2025). His ability to lead, adapt, and consistently elevate Yale’s competitive standard has earned him recognition from peers, alumni, and the broader rowing community.
Before becoming head coach, Porter served as Yale’s novice coach and held prior men’s coaching roles at Stanford, Rutgers, and Dartmouth. As an athlete, he represented the United States internationally, earning a silver medal at the 1991 Pan American Games in the four without coxswain and a bronze at the 1993 World Championships in the eight.
He lives in Madison, Connecticut, with his wife, Mia, and has three adult children: Case, William, and Berkeley.
