AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Rowing head coach Dave O’Neill announced the promotion of Gia Doonan to associate head coach and the addition of Lanie Nitsch as assistant coach.
Doonan, who is entering her fourth season with the Longhorns, was first hired as a volunteer assistant coach with the program in 2021 and then promoted to a full-time assistant coaching role in 2022. Doonan has helped guide Texas to dominance during her span on staff, including three national titles over the last four years and three Big 12 Championships. Under her tutelage, the Fours have captured back-to-back national championships in 2023-24.
“This program would not be where it is today without Gia Doonan, and the impact she’s made as a coach these last few years has been tremendous,” said O’Neill. “As the lead coach of our Fours group, she led that crew to a national championship, and her influence is felt by everyone in the program. She’s taken the lead on a number of projects that have made a real difference, so this promotion is very well deserved.”
The Rochester, Mass., native rowed four seasons with the Longhorns (2013-17) and is a former member of the USRowing Senior National Team. She helped Team USA to a fourth-place finish with the Eight at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. As a student-athlete at Texas, Doonan was a two-time Big 12 Rower of the Year (2015, 2017), three-time CRCA All-American (2015-17) and a four-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection (2014-17). She won three Big 12 Championships (2015-17) and competed in three NCAA Championships in the first varsity eight with the Longhorns.
With the national team in 2019, Doonan placed third in the Eight at the World Rowing Championships, second in the Eight at the World Rowing Cup II, and second in the Four at the World Rowing Cup I. In 2018, she won gold at the World Championships after earning a first-place finish with the Eight. She also finished ninth in the pair at the 2018 World Championships. She served as an alternate for the senior team at the 2017 World Rowing Championships. As a member of the USRowing U-23 team, she won gold in the Four and Eight at the 2016 World Rowing Under 23 Championships.
Nitsch joins the staff after a dominant four-year career with the Longhorns from 2021-24. Nitsch, a three-time National Champion, helped Texas capture its third national crown over a four-year stretch in June 2024. As a graduate senior, Nitsch was named to the CRCA First-Team All-America to go along with being tabbed to the All-Big 12 team. Nitsch rowed at the seven-seat in the First Varsity Eight victory, guiding UT to the national crown, winning with a time of 6:09.920. The McAllen, Texas, product also rowed at the seven-seat in the First Eight’s victory at the Big 12 Championship, clocking in with a final time of 6:08.714. Nitsch helped the Longhorns capture four Big 12 Championships during her time on the 40 Acres while also participating in four NCAA Championships.
“I’m thrilled that Lanie Nitsch is joining our staff for the fall semester,” said O’Neill. “We have a temporary need, and Lanie is the perfect person for this role right now. Her leadership, attention to detail and work ethic made her an outstanding teammate, and she will continue to move our program forward as a valued member of our coaching staff. I’m really looking forward to working with her in this new capacity.”
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