Photo by Amy Beth Bennett

Wilkins to guide CSULB crew

Who is that guy in the boat, and why is he here? He is a man who loves rowing, and he is at Cal State Long Beach to fulfill a mission.

"The women's crew program has gone through a lot of coaches -- three in the last three years," said Paul Wilkins, CSULB's new women's rowing coach. "I hope to give them stability."

Wilkins, 38, said the rowing team has talented athletes with a great deal of potential.

Before he joined CSULB, Wilkins was the administrator of the rowing team at George Washington University for 15 years. He dedicated ten of those years to coaching women's and men's rowing and spent his last five with the women's varsity team.

In the spring of 1996, the female/male crew of George Washington University was the overall winner in the Champion International Collegiate Regatta.

In 1989, Wilkins took the team to Dusberg, Germany to race in the World University Games.

As the director of the Potomac International Regatta from 1989-92, Wilkins was accountable for putting the show together.

Great Britain and Japan competed alongside the top U.S. collegiate teams in that race.

Wilkins said he enjoys his job. His responsibilities as a rowing coach are to train and motivate his crew. He said he prefers spending his work day outdoors and in the water to sitting behind a desk.

Traveling is one of his favorite pastimes. Wilkins most recently took a trip to Sidney and Canberra, Australia last August.

Wilkins was first exposed to rowing while in the tenth grade; he played soccer in the fall and he and a few friends decided to take up rowing as their spring sport.