Gracie Barbara - Women's Rowing Coach

Gracie Barbara

Title:
Assistant Coach

Gracie Barbara enters her first season as an assistant coach with the UCLA women’s rowing program in 2021-22.

Barbara, who graduated from Indiana University, spent the past three seasons on the women’s rowing coaching staff at the University of Alabama. She served as a graduate assistant for two seasons at the University of Louisville (2016-18) after having coached at T.C. Williams High School in Virginia.

Barbara’s primary responsibilities at UCLA include leading the novice program and assisting in all aspects of varsity athlete development and program operation.

While at Alabama, Barbara helped the Crimson Tide secure their first-ever appearance at the NCAA Championships after being selected as one of 12 at-large teams (combined with 10 automatic qualifying teams) in the annual 22-team regatta. Alabama finished No. 13 in the event, leading the way among a four-team tie thanks to the performance by the varsity eight crew in the petite final.

Alabama’s coaching staff was named the 2021 Regional Staff of the Year by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) in June of 2021. The Alabama women’s rowing program reached its first top-10 ranking in program history that season. For the second consecutive year, Alabama placed second at the Big 12 Championships, securing a medal in all four races on Decker Lake.

Barbara had served as a graduate assistant coach at Louisville, prior to her three-year stint at Alabama.

Barbara rowed for four seasons as an undergraduate at Indiana University (Bloomington, Ind.) from 2010-14. She helped the Hoosiers’ program qualify for the NCAA Championships for the first time in program history in 2014. Indiana’s program finished No. 11, overall. After graduating from Indiana, she returned to her high school – T.C. Williams (Alexandria, Va.) – to coach the women’s second varsity eight to a silver medal at the Stotesbury Cup and to a bronze medal at the 2016 Scholastic Nationals.

Hailing from Alexandria, Va., Barbara began rowing for T.C. Williams, where she served as team captain for two years. She medaled at the Virginia State Championships for five straight years and won a silver medal at the Stotesbury Cup. She also won a gold medal at the 2010 Scholastic Nationals.

Barbara graduated with her degree in kinesiology from Indiana in 2014. She also secured an undergraduate minor in coaching from the university’s School of Public Health.