Saint Joseph's Vice President and Director of Athletics Jill Bodensteiner has announced Kevin Gruber has been named head coach of the Hawks' women's rowing program.

"We are thrilled to welcome Kevin as the next head coach of our women's rowing program here on Hawk Hill. Kevin brings a proven track record of leadership, passion for developing student-athletes, and a vision that will continue to elevate our success on the water and in the classroom," said Bodensteiner. "We look forward to the impact Kevin will make on our program and Hawk Hill community."

Gruber brings more than 25 years of coaching experience to Hawk Hill, most recently serving as an assistant coach at Villanova since 2023. In his two seasons with the Wildcats, Gruber assisted with all facets of the program, including daily training, student-athlete development, and race preparation. This past season, Villanova capped its season with a program-best 29 team points en route to a fourth-place finish at the CAA Championship, highlighted by the 2nd Varsity 8 capturing bronze.

"Thank you to Jill and Ken (Krimmel) for this special opportunity. I've always admired St. Joe's program and am honored to lead the next chapter. I'll work hard to help give Hawk rowers the best possible student-athlete experiences," Gruber said. "Many thanks to Carissa, the staff and student-athletes at Villanova for a memorable and impactful two years. Saying 'goodbye' to good people is the toughest part of coaching transitions. Finally, special thanks to my wife, Kate, for her continued support – she makes me a better coach. My family is thrilled to begin our journey on Hawk Hill!"

Prior to Villanova, Gruber served as head coach of the women's rowing team at Delaware for 11 seasons. The longest-tenured head coach in Blue Hens program history, Gruber led Delaware to seven top-four finishes at the CAA Championship, including three podium finishes. Individually, 17 Blue Hens earned All-CAA accolades, two were named CRCA All-Region and 68 were recognized as CRCA Scholar-Athletes.

Along with coaching experience regionally, Gruber has also coached at Connecticut, Southern Methodist University, the University of Charleston, West Virginia, and Bates. A four-year member of the men's rowing team at UMass, he earned a bachelor's degrees in sport management and journalism in 2000, and went on to complete his master's degree in athletic coaching education from West Virginia in 2002.