BOSTON – After guiding the Boston University women's rowing program back to the top of the Patriot League, Madeline Davis Tully will be stepping down from her position as director of women's rowing following a six-year tenure in that role.
 
Davis Tully led the Terriers to the 2022 Patriot League title and a spot in the NCAA Championships en route to being named the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Regional Coach of the Year and the PL Coach of the Year. The team nearly pulled off a repeat this spring, winning two of the three grand finals to finish tied for first. The Terriers recaptured the Council Cup against rival Northeastern in 2022 and retained it with another victory over the Huskies last month.
 
"I have truly loved my time at BU," said Davis Tully. "The members of this team are not just great athletes and students, but good people and so much fun to be around. It's been a privilege to spend every day with them, to watch them each develop personally and athletically in their time on the team. I am also so grateful for the opportunity to work alongside my colleagues in the athletic department, especially Matt [Hanig], Hannah [Woodruff], Malcolm [Doldron] and the rest of the rowing coaches. The people here, from administration on down, are all committed to giving our student-athletes a world-class experience while supporting each other. I personally really benefited from this supportive, collaborative environment and was able to be the best coach I could be because of it. 
 
"I'm so proud of what the members of this team have achieved over the past six years. The program is in a very strong position, competitively and culturally, and I'm excited to cheer on their future successes. As I move on from coaching and embrace new professional challenges, I'm looking forward to spending time with my family and taking on adventures in the coming months. BU will always hold a special place in my heart and I look forward to cheering on BU rowers, past and present, for years to come."
 
"Madeline has been a valued member of our department ever since she arrived in 2017 and will most certainly be missed," said director of athletics Drew Marrochello. "She will be leaving our women's rowing program in outstanding shape, having made strides each year while developing impressive, well-rounded student-athletes. Her commitment to excellence is admirable and she will undoubtedly find success in her future endeavors."
 
At the 2022 NCAA Championships, BU registered 23 points, 16 more than its previous appearance in 2014. The Terriers finished in the top three at the PL Championships in each season with Davis Tully at the helm, and in addition to the recent Council Cup wins, she also guided BU to victory versus Northeastern for the first time in six years in 2019. 
 
In her role as director Davis Tully also oversaw the Terriers' lightweight rowing program, which has enjoyed consistent success, highlighted by a 2019 season in which it won the Eastern Sprints championship, earned a double scull IRA national title and finished as IRA national runner-up as a team.
  
Davis Tully, who helped guide Ohio State to a pair of national team titles and four straight Big Ten team championships before coming to BU, has served as president of the CRCA for the past five years. An All-America lightweight rower at Princeton, she also served as the assistant lightweight coach at Stanford and was a part of three national team championships there. 
 
"Madeline's vision and values were a strong fit here at BU, and combined with her knowledge of the rowing landscape, we look forward to having her assistance as we identify her successor," added Marrochello.
 
A national search for BU's next director of women's rowing will begin immediately.