Bucknell University Athletics
Asiya Mahmud Joins Women's Rowing Staff, Kelly Harris Earns Elevated Role
11/3/2014 5:32:00 PM | Women's Rowing
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell head women's rowing coach Stephen Kish on Monday announced that Asiya Mahmud was hired as the assistant varsity coach for the Bison. Mahmud joins the Bison program following an accomplished rowing career at Drexel and two years as a successful high school coach in New Jersey. Additionally, former volunteer assistant Kelly Harris earned a promotion into a full-time position as assistant coach and will be working with the novice rowers.
“We are extremely happy to have a full complement of four full-time coaches once again,” commented Kish, who is in his 19th year at Bucknell. “Asiya is a very talented young coach who will help us as we continue to improve and continue to be a strong competitor within the Patriot League. Kelly has done tremendous work with our program in her previous role and her knowledge and experience will continue to benefit our student-athletes. We are excited to have the continuity in our staff.”
Mahmud is a 2012 graduate of Drexel with a degree in criminal justice. During her time with the Dragons she was a gold medalist at the Dad Vail Regatta, earned a silver medal at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships and was a quarterfinalist at the Henley Women's Regatta. Additionally, she earned a number of gold, silver and bronze medals at the Knecht, Kelly and Kerry Cup as well as the Head of the Schuylkill.
Following graduation, Mahmud returned to her high school alma mater to begin her coaching career. She experienced plenty of success the last two years coaching at Oakcrest High School. In 2013, she was the varsity lightweight four and varsity four coach, while last spring she oversaw the varsity eight, second varsity eight, freshman eight, junior varsity four and novice four.
Last spring, Mahmud earned both the Atlantic County Coach of the Year and Press of Atlantic City Coach of the Year awards.
Boats that Mahmud coached had many impressive showings, including the lightweight four winning the Atlantic County High School Championships and the varsity eight placing second at both the Garden State Scholastic and Atlantic County Championships. Additionally, the varsity eight was a semifinalist at the SRAA Nationals and a competitor at the National Schools' Championship Regatta.
Mahmud started rowing during her high school days and was named team MVP as a senior.
Harris originally joined the Bison coaching staff in the fall of 2013 as a volunteer assistant. She spent the fall of 2013 at Bucknell before moving on to the University of Louisville to serve as the interim assistant for the 2014 spring season.
During her time at Louisville, Harris led the novice program while assisting with the varsity crews in their postseason, which included a conference title and a 17th-place finish at the NCAA Championship.
Prior to her initial arrival at Bucknell, Harris served as the head women's rowing coach at Marietta College for six years. Under the leadership of Harris, Marietta's varsity eight won back-to-back Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference Championships and repeated as Dad Vail champions, earning NCAA bids in 2011 and 2012. In 2012, Marietta won the team conference title and had its first-ever team NCAA Championship bid, finishing sixth in the nation.
Before her stint at Marietta, Harris spent two years at Marist College, overseeing all aspects of the freshman and varsity programs. She began her full-time coaching career as the assistant men's and women's rowing coach at Vassar College from 2002-05, following a one-year assistantship at her alma mater, the University of New Hampshire.
A 2001 graduate of New Hampshire, Harris was a four-year member and two-year captain of the Wildcats' rowing team. During her career at UNH, Harris rowed to a gold medal in the varsity eight at the 1999 New England Championships and helped the program win the All-Around Women's Points Trophy at that year's ECAC Championships.
Harris has also spent time coaching at Phillips Exeter Academy and she participated in the 2001 East Coast Lightweight National Team Development Camp in Boston, Massachusetts.
Mahmud and Harris join Kish and second-year assistant coach Briana Pittman on the Bison staff.
