From left: Olivia Betz, Shannon Haines, Bianca Colon, Michaela Pillion
Rowing Adds Four to Coaching & Support Staff
Nov 22 | Women's Rowing
Alums Olivia Betz and Shannon Haines take over as assistant coaches; Bianca Colon serves as volunteer assistant coach; Michaela Pillion joins as athletic trainer
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Rutgers rowing head coach Justin Price has introduced four new members to the Scarlet Knights' coaching and support staff. Olivia Betz and Shannon Haines have been hired as assistant coaches, Bianca Colon takes over as a volunteer assistant coach, and Michaela Pillion joins the program as the athletic trainer.
Betz takes over as an assistant coach and the program's recruiting coordinator. She returns "On the Banks" after a collegiate career at Rutgers and a one-year stint as volunteer assistant coach in 2020-21. Betz spent last season as an assistant coach at Gonzaga, where she helped lead the team to an 18th place national finish at the NCAA Championships.
Betz was on the 2020-21 CRCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year at Rutgers as the Scarlet Knights set program records for its third place Big Ten Championships finish and seventh place result at the national regatta. The coaching stint followed an undergraduate career in Rutgers boats, where she won a Big Ten Boat of the Week award, rowed the Second Varsity 8 to a fourth place finish at Big Tens, and placed 11th in the country at the NCAA Championships with her teammates in 2019.
A sport management major at Rutgers, Betz earned her bachelor's degree in 2020.
Haines also returns to her alma mater, where she rowed from 2012-16 for Rutgers while winning All-American Athletic Conference Second Team honors and a mention on the CRCA All-Region First Team in 2013. She has been coaching since graduation at various levels of the sport, including a stint as head coach at James Madison High School in Virginia and at Resilient Rowing Club as an administrator and assistant coach since 2014.
Haines also has stops at the U.S. Junior National Team Small Boats Camp and the University of Tennessee Club Crew Team. She earned her bachelor's in public health from Rutgers in 2016 and a master's in public health from George Washington in 2019.
Colon is a recent graduate from UMass, where she rowed collegiately from 2018-22. She is a World Record Holder in the 100-meter on sliders for the women's 17-18 age group. Colon began her mentorship career as an assistant coach with Stewards Foundation Club in 2020, following a stint as an intern in strength and conditioning at UMass.
She is receiving her Level 1 Coaching Certification from U.S. Rowing. Colon earned a bachelor's in psychology from UMass, earning Dean's List three times and making the Chi Alpha Sigma athlete honor society.
Pillion takes over athletic training duties after serving in a similar role with Indiana University's rowing team since 2020. She also has stops at North and South High Schools in Bloomington, Indiana, along with a stint at Colts Drum and Bugle Corps as their athletic trainer in Iowa.
She served as a student athletic trainer while earning a bachelor's degree from Iowa, then completed her master's in kinesiology from Indiana in 2022.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers rowing, follow the program on Twitter and Instagram (@RutgersWRowing). The team is also on Facebook (facebook.com/RutgersWRowing). For additional updates, please download the Gameday App.
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Betz takes over as an assistant coach and the program's recruiting coordinator. She returns "On the Banks" after a collegiate career at Rutgers and a one-year stint as volunteer assistant coach in 2020-21. Betz spent last season as an assistant coach at Gonzaga, where she helped lead the team to an 18th place national finish at the NCAA Championships.
Betz was on the 2020-21 CRCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year at Rutgers as the Scarlet Knights set program records for its third place Big Ten Championships finish and seventh place result at the national regatta. The coaching stint followed an undergraduate career in Rutgers boats, where she won a Big Ten Boat of the Week award, rowed the Second Varsity 8 to a fourth place finish at Big Tens, and placed 11th in the country at the NCAA Championships with her teammates in 2019.
A sport management major at Rutgers, Betz earned her bachelor's degree in 2020.
Haines also returns to her alma mater, where she rowed from 2012-16 for Rutgers while winning All-American Athletic Conference Second Team honors and a mention on the CRCA All-Region First Team in 2013. She has been coaching since graduation at various levels of the sport, including a stint as head coach at James Madison High School in Virginia and at Resilient Rowing Club as an administrator and assistant coach since 2014.
Haines also has stops at the U.S. Junior National Team Small Boats Camp and the University of Tennessee Club Crew Team. She earned her bachelor's in public health from Rutgers in 2016 and a master's in public health from George Washington in 2019.
Colon is a recent graduate from UMass, where she rowed collegiately from 2018-22. She is a World Record Holder in the 100-meter on sliders for the women's 17-18 age group. Colon began her mentorship career as an assistant coach with Stewards Foundation Club in 2020, following a stint as an intern in strength and conditioning at UMass.
She is receiving her Level 1 Coaching Certification from U.S. Rowing. Colon earned a bachelor's in psychology from UMass, earning Dean's List three times and making the Chi Alpha Sigma athlete honor society.
Pillion takes over athletic training duties after serving in a similar role with Indiana University's rowing team since 2020. She also has stops at North and South High Schools in Bloomington, Indiana, along with a stint at Colts Drum and Bugle Corps as their athletic trainer in Iowa.
She served as a student athletic trainer while earning a bachelor's degree from Iowa, then completed her master's in kinesiology from Indiana in 2022.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers rowing, follow the program on Twitter and Instagram (@RutgersWRowing). The team is also on Facebook (facebook.com/RutgersWRowing). For additional updates, please download the Gameday App.
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