Andrea Buch Joins SU Women's Coaching Staff

photo and story courtesy of SU Athletics

Syracuse University head women's rowing coach Justin Moore announced that Andrea Buch, U.S. Rowing Junior Nationals head coach, will join the Orange's all-star staff for the 2010-11 season. Current assistant Alicea Kochis will also remain on the staff.

“I feel Syracuse women's rowing has a tremendous one-two punch in our assistant coaching staff. I am extremely excited to work with this staff during the 2010-11 season.” Moore said. “Andrea is a highly organized and energetic coach who is already a proven recruiter, both nationally and internationally. Working with her within the junior national system - Andrea oversaw the under-15 component of the U.S. Junior system this past summer - convinced me that Andrea has all the necessary talents to help create a program that competes at the highest levels nationally.”

Buch comes to Syracuse after serving as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Louisville for the past three seasons. She was also the head coach of the Cardinals' novice program. While at Louisville, Buch was named the 2009 South Region Assistant Coach of the Year by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA).

During the 2007-08 season, Buch served as the assistant novice coach at Louisville. She led the novice squad to its highest finish in program history as runners up in the BIG EAST 8+ and 4+ events.

“I am excited to work with Coach Moore, who is one of the best coaches the county,” Buch said. “I look forward to helping bring Syracuse back to a position of prominence in the BIG EAST as well as nationally. Syracuse rowing has a lot of history and tradition and I cannot wait to be part of the Orange family.”

For the past two summers (2009 & 2010), Buch has been the head coach for the U.S. Rowing Junior National Team Development Camp in New London, Conn. Following camp in 2009, she coached the CanAmMex junior women's 4x to a bronze medal finish at the U.S. Club Nationals in Oak Ridge, Tenn. In 2010, she acted as the CanAmMex Regatta coordinator, where she worked closely with the United States, Canadian and Mexican teams.

Prior to Louisville, Buch coached at East Lyme High School and the Thames River Sculls in Conn., in 2007. In 2004, she was the head coach at Lyme-Old Lyme High School where she coached the gold medalist crews in the Boys and Girls 2x events at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta.

Buch began her coaching career in 1996 working with the Old Lyme Rowing Association. From 1998-2003, she coached both sweep and sculling to the high performance juniors program at Blood Street Sculls in Old Lyme, Conn.

As a former four-year rower at the University of Kansas, Buch excelled both as an athlete and in the classroom.
She competed for the top 25-ranked Jayhawks from 1998-2002, where she captained the team during her senior season.

Buch graduated with honors from KU in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in geography. She was named a Jayhawk Scholar Athlete and was named to the Big XII Commissioners Honor Roll each year at Kansas. Buch went on to receive her master's degree in geography from the University of Otago in New Zealand in 2006.

A part of one of the most successful eras in Orange rowing history, Kochis returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach in 2007. Kochis rowed for the Orange from 1998-2002 and helped SU earn three NCAA Championship berths. She was named the CRCA Mid-Atlantic Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2009.

“Alicea has proven herself to be an indefatigable worker with a tremendous grasp of the university and the women's rowing program through her association as an oarswoman and assistant coach,” Moore said. “Her love and knowledge of the university, combined with her desire to create a successful team, puts her in a unique place from which to teach current students and educate prospective students about all that Syracuse has to offer. I look forward to working with and learning from her.”