07/30/2026
🚨 Promotion 🚨
Iona University Athletics announced the promotion of Jacob Tivnan to head coach of the men’s rowing program.
Tivnan enters his fourth season on the Iona rowing staff in 2026-27 after serving three years as an assistant coach. A 2022 Iona graduate and former team captain, Tivnan helped reshape and grow the program while playing a key role in assembling one of the largest and most talented recruiting classes in program history.
During his time as an assistant, Tivnan coached the Gaels’ Varsity 4 to a gold medal at the 2024 National Invitational Rowing Championships (NIRC) and contributed to the continued development of the men’s rowing program on and off the water.
“Jacob has earned this opportunity through his leadership, commitment to our student-athletes, and passion for Iona Rowing,” said Director of Men’s & Women’s Rowing Ben MacDougald. “He understands what it means to wear the Maroon & Gold because he lived it as a student-athlete, and he has continued to elevate our program as a coach. Jacob brings outstanding energy, strong technical knowledge, and a clear vision for the future of Iona rowing. I am excited to see him lead the program into its next chapter.”
Prior to joining the Iona coaching staff, Tivnan coached youth rowers with the Hudson River Rowing Association and Wappingers Crew Club from June 2022 through August 2023, helping develop athletes at the junior level.
As a student-athlete, Tivnan established himself as one of the program’s leaders. He was elected team captain as a sophomore and earned reelection for his junior and senior seasons. As a freshman in 2019, his teammates selected him to race in the Varsity 4 at the Dad Vail Regatta. He concluded his collegiate career by helping Iona capture the Varsity 8 gold medal at the 2022 Novak Memorial Metropolitan Championships.
A native of Fishkill, NY, Tivnan graduated from Iona University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication.
