The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Women's Rowing

THE CUPINI FILE Personal Information Full Name: Kim Marie Cupini Born: November 4, 1981 Hometown: Rochester, N.Y College: San Diego, 2003 Coaching Experience 2004-05: San Diego, assistant coach 2005-07: UCF, assistant coach 2007-17: San Diego, head coach 2017-23: SMU, head coach 2023-present: Tennessee, head coach Individual Highlights CRCA National Coach of the Year (1) 2024 CRCA Regional Coach of the Year (2) 2023 (Region 4), 2024 (Region 3) Big 12 Coach of the Year (1) 2024 AAC Coach of the Year (4) 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 WCC Coach of the Year (5) 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 All-American Selections: 19 All-Conference Selections: 79 TENNESSEE HIGHLIGHTS 2024 CRCA National Coach of the Year 2024 Big 12 Co-Head Coach of the Year 2024 CRCA Division I Region 3 Coach of the Year Third-place at 2024 NCAA Championships, the best in program history Five CRCA All-Americans Five All-Big 12 selections No. 3 CRCA end-of-year national ranking Each of UT's three NCAA Championship crews set program-best marks by boat classification at the postseason event, with its First Eight placing third, its Second Eight crew finishing third and its Four boat earning fifth place Nine 2024 CRCA National Scholar-Athletes SMU HIGHLIGHTS Eight CRCA All-America honors 31 All-AAC selections Three consecutive American Athletic Conference titles (2021, 2022, 2023) and three consecutive NCAA Championships appearances, where SMU finished 11th in 2021, 12th in 2022 and ninth in 2023 2023 CRCA Division I Region

Gillis arrived on Rocky Top prior to the 2023-24 season, having served as a graduate assistant for one season under head coach Kim Cupini at SMU. There, she helped lead the Mustangs’ surge to a ninth-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Rowing Championship and a sweep at the AAC Championship. “I feel incredibly fortunate to be joining the Rocky Top family,” Gillis said. “I believe that Kim’s commitment to excellence on and off the water, combined with the talented incoming staff, sets the stage for a new era of Tennessee Rowing. I am thrilled to get to work and to help build Tennessee Rowing into a powerhouse team.” In year two, Gillis helped the Lady Vols to another successful season. Gillis helped lead Tennessee to a fifth place finish at the 2025 NCAA Championships, its second consecutive top five finish. This run marks the most successful two year stretch in program history after earning third place at the 2024 NCAA Championships. At the inaugural SEC Championships, Tennessee finished in second place while earning three gold and two silver medals. Four Tennessee rowers garnered CRCA All-American honors following the 2025 campaign. Over the last two season Tennessee had had nine athletes earned CRCA All-American status, the most over a two year span in program history. In her first season on Rocky Top, Gillis helped lead Tennessee to its best season in program history. The Lady Vols ascended to No. 3 in the CRCA national rankings by season’s end, and placed third nationally—a pro

Assistant coach David Hall joined the Tennessee rowing program prior to the 2021-22 campaign. "It's an honor to join Coach Cupini's staff as she begins an ex...

No stranger to Rocky Top, Braun served as a graduate assistant for two seasons with the Lady Vols from 2015-17. She then spent six years at Wisconsin, where she began as the lightweight women's freshmen coach before being promoted to assistant coach ahead of the 2020-21 campaign. In addition to her coaching duties, she also acted as the Badgers’ recruiting coordinator. During her first stint with Tennessee rowing, Braun created a mental training program, coached the novice program and helped with boat maintenance. She was also involved in on-campus recruiting and marketing of the team. While at UT, Braun competed her masters in kinesiology, focusing on sport psychology and motor behavior. “I’m really excited to be back on Rocky Top,” Braun said. “Since leaving after my graduate studies, I knew I wanted to come back and help make this program a powerhouse. With Kim’s leadership and the rest of our staff, I really believe we will make Tennessee Rowing big time.” In her second season on Rocky Top, Braun helped lead the Lady Vols to their second consecutive top five national result. It marked the most successful two year stretch in program history. Four Lady Vols garnered CRCA All-American honors. Over the past two seasons, Tennessee has picked up nine All-America honors, which is the most over a two year span in program history. Tennessee finished in second place in the inaugural SEC Championship in 2025. Tennessee took three gold medals at the SEC Championships, while also earn

Keys arrived on Rocky Top prior to the 2023-24 season, having spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach on head coach Kim Cupini’s SMU staff. "I am incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to help build an amazing program here at Tennessee with Kim and the entire staff,” Keys said. “With rowing facilities that are world class, and having the support from an already exceptionally successful athletic department, we are eager and ready to push this program to its full potential.” In her second season at Tennessee, Keys helped lead Tennessee to its second consecutive top five finish at the NCAA Championships. The fifth place finish for the Lady Vols in 2025 marked the most successful two year run in program history after Keys helped coach the squad to a third place finish in 2024. At the 2025 SEC Championships, Keys helped Tennessee to a second place finish. The Lady Vols won three championship events at the inaugural conference championship, while also earning a pair of silver medal performances. Keys coached four rowers to All-American honors during the 2025 campaign. That moved the Tennessee total to nine All-Americans across two years, the most in program history over a similar span. In her first season on Rocky Top, Keys helped lead Tennessee to its best season in program history. The Lady Vols ascended to No. 3 in the CRCA national rankings by season’s end, and placed third nationally—a program-best finish—at the 2024 NCAA Championships. Keys and t

Randy Duffy was announced as the Tennessee rowing program's boathouse director by head coach Kim Cupini in August of 2023. Having spent six years working with Cupini as the boatman for SMU's rowing program, Duffy has brought that same level of expertise to Rocky Top. In his first season, Tennessee posted its best season in program history, with the Lady Vols ascending to No. 3 in the CRCA national rankings and placing third nationally at the 2024 NCAA Championships. At SMU, Duffy oversaw racing shell setup, repair and maintenance of all primary and ancillary equipment across all brands of racing shell manufacturers, including fiberglass, engines and controls, and practiced professional carbon fiber shell damage repair and painting. He was responsible for fleet management, facilities maintenance, repairs, direct facility improvements, subcontractor management and transportation of race equipment. During his six-year span at SMU, the program won three American Athletic Conference titles (2021, 2022, 2023) and made three consecutive NCAA Championship appearances, with SMU finishing ninth in 2023. SMU's staff earned AAC Coaching Staff of the Year recognition in each of the past four seasons and SMU claimed AAC Boat of the Year three times (2019, 2021, 2022).

Recruiting email: Volrowing@utk.edu Violette Legrand joined the Tennessee rowing program's coaching staff in August of 2023. A former standout rower at Louis...