Paula Thoms on The Swing Of Things Podcast
Paula Thoms enters her third season as Head Coach of the Williams College women's crew team in 2024-25. She was appointed to the position on July 13, 2022.
During her time with the Ephs, she led the women's crew team to a NESCAC Championship and was named the conference's Coach of the Year in 2023. The team's second Varsity Eight took third place during the 2023 NCAA Division III Championship. During the 2023 season, two Ephs were named Pocock Racing Shell All-Americans.
The Women’s Crew team took home the third-place team trophy at the NCAA Championship and earned the gold medal in the Second Varsity Eight during the 2024 season. The team finished second out of 20 and the Second Varsity Eight placed first out of 18 during the NIRC/NESCAC Championship.
“I am thrilled to announce that Paula Thoms has accepted the offer to become the next Head Coach of Williams Women’s Crew," said Athletic Director Lisa Melendy. "The search committee was impressed with her deep experience in coaching rowing, her knowledge of training, her holistic approach and her deep commitment to building inclusivity in every setting of which she is a part. I want to thank the search committee: Bill Barrale, Steve Kuster, Marc Mandel, Carolyn Miles and Sarah Raymond for their time and assistance in this process. Paula will officially assume her duties as Head Coach on Aug. 1, 2022. I am enthusiastic about the next chapter in Williams Women’s Crew.”
Thoms stated at the time of her hiring, "Thank you to Athletic Director Lisa Melendy, the search committee and the student-athletes for choosing me to be the next leader of this incredible team. From the beginning, it was clear to me that the vision and mission of Williams College aligned with what I stand for as a teacher and coach. I am so excited to be a part of this community that above all else prioritizes the growth and development of the whole person. Williams Women's Crew has a storied history of excellence both academically and athletically, and I look forward to the opportunity to continue moving the program forward."
Prior to Williams, Thoms worked at Cornell University, where she served as the Associate Head Coach of the women’s rowing team for three years. Before becoming Associate Head Coach, Thoms was an Assistant Coach from 2014-19 at Cornell.
Additionally, she has experience as an Assistant Coach at Boston University (2008-14) and Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario. Her first collegiate coaching experience came as a Volunteer Assistant Coach at her alma mater Michigan State University in 2007, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing.
At Cornell, Thoms helped the Varsity Four C win the bronze medal at the 2016 Ivy League Women’s Rowing Championship, while the third Varsity Eight finished just outside of the medals at the 2017 event.
Four of Thoms’ Big Red rowers earned All-Ivy honors, one was named a Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) All-American, three were CRCA Region 1 selections, 16 were named CRCA Scholar-Athletes and two were named Academic All-Ivy selections.
Since August 2020, Thoms has served as a Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for the CRCA. The committee works to create a community of rowing professionals to foster education and mutual support; advocate for progressive change within the CRCA; and build coalitions with other organizations to advocate for policy change. Additionally, Thoms co-founded and helped lead the Cornell Athletics Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee that was formed in July 2021.
At Michigan State, Thoms was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, a member of the crew that won the 2005 Big Ten Championship and attained a team-record, sixth-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Championship. She earned Second Team All-Big Ten recognition her senior season and won the team's Spirit Award for best exemplifying the passion and integrity of the team.
Thoms also rowed and coached at the St. Catharines Rowing Club, where she was a three-time champion at the Henley Royal Regatta in 2000, 2002 and 2006. In 2004, she was a Head of the Charles Regatta champion. In 2002, the club recognized Thoms as its Female Oarswoman of the Year.
A native of St. Catharines, Ontario, Thoms is married to Vic Brown, the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Williams, and they have two children, Dylan and Tyler.
