Kemp Savage

Biography

The 2024-25 season marks the 11th for Head Coach Kemp Savage after serving as an assistant coach for the six seasons prior. In his first eight years at the helm, he has guided EMU to three fourth-place finishes and three third-place finishes at the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championships. Savage owns 17 years of experience of coaching and competing. The Chesapeake, Va. native arrived at EMU in 2008 following a stint at Old Dominion University. He has led the Eagles to the highest finishes in program history, finishing third at the CAA Championships in the 2016, 2018 and 2022 seasons. The 2021-22 season saw Savage lead the Eagles to a third overall finish at the CAA Championships. Additionally, the team tallied 26 points, the most ever for EMU at the championships since the program joined the conference in 2012. Members of the Eagles First Varsity Eight squad, Emma Boersen and Chloe Hinojosa, were named to the 2022 All-CAA team. Seven Green and White boats took home first place finishes during the 2021-22 campaign, including three First Varsity Eight squads, two Second Varsity Eight teams and two First Varsity Four groups. Furthermore, under Savage’s guidance, 40 rowers earned spots on the 2022 CAA Commissioner's Honor Roll. Even though the season was shortened to the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Eastern Michigan still found success. Savage’s boats recorded top times against Duquesne and Dayton on Ford Lake, in two of the three home regattas during the 2021 s