Ry Hills Concludes Half-Century Rowing Career

Barb “Ry” Hills retired from a long and successful coaching career this spring, more than 50 years after playing a major role in establishing women’s rowing at the University of New Hampshire.

As an athlete, Hills won both the pair and eight at the 1976 United States Rowing Association national championships and finished third in the Olympic trials, missing a spot on the team by 1.3 seconds.

She became the first women’s rowing coach at the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1978. In the early 1980s, she coached Dartmouth’s novice women to two Eastern Sprints wins. She also coached the U.S. Junior National Team, UNH, and Pioneer Valley.

For the past seven years, after founding Megunticook Rowing in Camden, Maine, Hills coached at Bowdoin College with head coach Doug Welling.

“They have truly functioned as co-head coaches,” said retired Bowdoin coach Gil Birney.

In total, Hills coached crews to 15 New England Rowing Championship medals (11 gold), a women’s team-points trophy and seven medals at Dad Vails, and five medals (three gold) at ACRA championships. Bowdoin won the women’s point trophy at this year’s ACRA championship.

Mills is the sister of longtime Radcliffe coach Liz O’Leary and the mother of three children, including Lizzie Mitchell, associate head coach at Boston University.

“All in all, Mom, you are a total badass,” Mitchell said at a retirement gathering. “You are my daily inspiration, my guiding light, and the reason I am coaching today.”

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