Amy Fuller Kearney - Women's Rowing Coach

Amy Fuller Kearney

Title:
Head Coach
Alma Mater:
UCSB, '90

Amy Fuller Kearney transitioned into a role as Senior Advisor within the UCLA Athletics Department in the summer of 2021. Fuller Kearney assists with a variety of mentoring responsibilities and department projects, while continuing to support the women’s rowing program.

Fuller Kearney served as UCLA’s head coach for 20 seasons – from 2001-02 through 2020-21. She established the Bruins’ program as a consistent national competitor, haven taken UCLA through a successful transition from club to varsity status upon her arrival in 2001.

UCLA earned its first-ever team bid to the NCAA Championships in 2010 before making consecutive appearances at the national event in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Under Fuller Kearney’s guidance, UCLA had produced consistently top marks and strong results over those three seasons that culminated with NCAA Championship berths. Since then, the Bruins have been ranked among the country’s top 20 programs in the CRCA weekly polls (Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association). UCLA finished as high as third at the 2012 Pac-12 Championships and have had success at national events such as the San Diego Crew Classic and the Clemson Invitational.

UCLA has routinely produced high-level rowers on the international scene, with multiple student-athletes (both current and former) earning medals at the U23 World Championships. Through the past six seasons, top UCLA rowers such as Saskia Budgett, Kyra Edwards, Marie Jacquet and Carlisle Wheeler have all had success at the U23 international competition. In 2016, Meaghan Volker rowed for the Australian women’s eight at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Marie Jacquet qualified with France for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

In 2021, UCLA raced to three dual-meet victories against Loyola Marymount, USC and San Diego and climbed to as high as No. 14 in the national polls. The Bruins’ second varsity eight finished in fourth place at the season-culminating Pac-12 Championships. UCLA’s program had returned to the water in the fall of 2020 after the Bruins’ 2020 spring season was largely cut short, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fuller Kearney was named the Pac-12 Conference co-Coach of the Year in 2021, along with Washington’s Yasmin Farooq. This marked the first time in her career in which she had secured conference coach of the year acclaim.

UCLA opened the 2020 spring season with a dual-meet victory against San Diego State in Marina del Rey, winning all four races, before the remainder of the spring season was canceled.

In 2019, the Bruins finished in fourth place at the Pac-12 Championships. Under Fuller Kearney’s direction, UCLA concluded that season ranked No. 18 in the final top-20 CRCA national poll. The Bruins recorded wins against San Diego State and Loyola Marymount, as well as Grand Final finishes in all varsity events at the San Diego Crew Classic.

Fuller Kearney guided the Bruins’ program to three consecutive top-12 finishes at the NCAA Championships from 2012-14, a feat that had never before been accomplished at UCLA. In 2014, the Bruins finished 12th overall and saw the second varsity eight record a second-place finish in the Petite Final (eighth overall). UCLA’s varsity eight advanced to the Grand Final at the San Diego Crew Classic and won each of its three races against top national competitors at the Clemson Invitational.

In 2012 and 2013, UCLA registered its best team finishes at the NCAA Championships. The Bruins finished eighth in 2012 and ninth in 2013. The varsity eight had a first-place finish in the Petite Final race (places 7-12) at each of those two NCAA Championships. Britta Syverson capped her four-year career in 2013 by becoming UCLA’s second three-time All-America selection, along with Vanessa Teff.

The Bruins’ 2012 squad not only secured the program’s best-ever finish at NCAA Championships (eighth), but also raced to a third-place team finish at Pac-12 Championships, the highest such finish of any UCLA team at the season-culminating event. Not only did UCLA’s varsity eight finish first in the Petite Final at NCAA Championships, but the Bruins’ second varsity eight finished sixth in the Grand Final, and the varsity four was first in the Petite Final.

Fuller Kearney helped UCLA break into its first-ever NCAA Championships as a team in 2010, when the Bruins finished 12th overall at the national event. UCLA’s eight finished ninth at the 2010 NCAA Championships, placing higher than any Pac-12 program in the Petite Final.

UCLA’s previous NCAA Championship appearances included varsity eight at-large selections in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The eight crew’s highest finish in that three-year span was a 12th-place finish in 2006.

Fuller Kearney led the Bruins’ top two varsity eights to the Pac-10 Championship Grand Final from 2004 through 2007. UCLA’s second varsity eight won the silver medal in 2005 and 2006 at the Pac-10 Championships.

Under Fuller Kearney, the Bruins have secured national rankings (during the season) as high as No. 3 in 2012, No. 5 in 2013, No. 9 in 2014, No. 11 in 2010, No. 13 in 2008 and 2009, No. 17 in 2011 and No. 18 in 2019. UCLA concluded its 2014 campaign ranked No. 12 in the CRCA national poll.

In 2009, Vanessa Teff was honored as an All-Pac-10 selection for the fourth consecutive season, becoming the first women’s rower in program history to accomplish that feat. In addition, she secured CRCA All-West Region honors.

UCLA’s 2007 team earned an at-large varsity eight bid to NCAA Championships, where they finished 14th overall. The Bruins helped earn the at-large entry after finishing fourth overall at Pac-10 Championships in May. In 2006, the varsity eight raced to a 12th-place finish as an at-large selection to the NCAA Championships.

The Bruins made history in 2005, sending their first-ever varsity eight to NCAA Championships as an at-large bid. The Bruins’ crew finished 15th overall. Earlier that season, UCLA advanced to the Grand Final in each event at Pac-10 Championships. The first eight raced to a top-16 ranking and an at-large invite to the NCAA Championships for the first time in program history. The second eight made history, bringing home a silver medal from the Pac-10 Championships, a first at UCLA since rowing was elevated to NCAA varsity status.

Named UCLA’s head coach on July 2, 2001 – the sport’s inaugural NCAA season – Fuller Kearney came to Westwood after having served one year as assistant coach for the Stanford women’s crew program (2000-01). At Stanford, she guided the Cardinal to its first top-20 national ranking in the program’s NCAA history.

Prior to serving as assistant coach at Stanford, Fuller Kearney was an assistant coach at San Diego State for two years (1998-2000). She worked with the Aztecs while training for the 2000 Olympics with the U.S. National Team. Fuller Kearney has also spent time working as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga (1996-98) and for the U.S. National Team (1997).

From 1993-96, Fuller Kearney served as a motivational speaker for Champion International, a U.S. Rowing sponsor. She began her coaching career at UC Santa Barbara, her alma mater. From 1990-91, she led the women's novice program. Two years later, from 1992-93, she was the head coach of the women's team.
A three-time Olympian and world record holder, Fuller Kearney has accrued a strong national and international rowing background. In 1993, she earned U.S. Rowing Female Athlete of the Year honors. Two years later, she was a finalist for the Sullivan Award, presented annually to the nation’s top amateur athlete. She spent the fall and winter of 1995 competing with the America's Cup Syndicate, America 3. She was a member of the first ever all-women's team to challenge for the America's Cup.

As a starboard aft grinder, Fuller Kearney used her strength and endurance to earn a starting spot among the world's top female sailors. In the spring and summer, Fuller Kearney again turned her focus to rowing and helped the women's eight to a World Championship in Tampere, Finland.

Fuller Kearney earned trips to the Olympics in 1992, 1996, and 2000. In 1992, she brought home a silver medal in the Women's 4-. In 1996 and 2000, she placed in the top 6 in the Women's 8+.

Additionally, Fuller Kearney has competed in eight World Championships, earning one gold medal and six silver medals (1989, 1991, 1993-94, 1997-98 and 1999). An extension of Fuller Kearney's international experience includes the Goodwill Games, the Lucerne International Regatta, and the Henley Royal Regatta. At the 1994 Goodwill Games, her women’s 8+ team captured the bronze. Competing at the Lucerne International Regatta (1991, 1994-96 and 1998), she brought home five medals - three gold, one silver, and one bronze. At the 1998 Henley Royal Regatta, Fuller Kearney added another gold medal.

Fuller Kearney continued her rowing success at the C.R.A.S.H. B Sprints. She was the 2000 and 2001 World Record holder on the rowing ergometer and placed first for open women. On the national level, Fuller Kearney rowed for the U.S. National Team for 11 years (1989, 1991-2000). During this era, she recorded 12 gold medals, two silver and one bronze.

As a sophomore at UC Santa Barbara, Fuller Kearney discovered a passion for rowing. She later earned one gold medal and one bronze medal on the collegiate national level. In 1990, she was honored with the school's Associated Students Athlete of the Year Award. In 2006, Fuller Kearney was an inaugural inductee into the UC Santa Barbara Recreational Sports Hall of Fame. In 2010, she was inducted into the National Rowing Hall of Fame.

A Westlake Village, Calif., native who prepped at Westlake High School, Fuller Kearney graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She earned her master’s degree in education from University of Tennessee, Chattanooga in 1998.

Fuller Kearney has been certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a Health Fitness Instructor and is a USRowing certified coach. She resides with her husband, Joe, and daughter, Shannon.