Update 8/18/25
Chris O'Brien is in his fourth year as the head women’s rowing coach at Stockton. In addition to his coaching duties at Stockton, O'Brien serves as associate director of athletics for athletic development, working in conjunction with the Stockton Office of Development & Alumni Relations on fundraising initiatives for the athletic department.
Last year, O’Brien led Stockton to fourth place at the Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference Championships and a second consecutive bronze medal in the varsity eight at the Dad Vail Regatta. Under O’Brien’s direction, Stockton finished third at the MARC Championships and collected a bronze medal in the varsity eight at the Dad Vail Regatta in 2024.
In his first season at Stockton, O’Brien directed the Ospreys to an outstanding 2022-23 campaign in which the squad narrowly missed winning the MARC Championship by just one point. He coached the varsity eight to an undefeated spring slate of six regattas, including medals at the MARC Championships, Dad Vail and Knecht Cup, and he was voted MARC Coach of the Year.
O'Brien arrived Stockton in August 2022 after 16 years as head women's rowing coach at Thomas Jefferson University. He also served as Assistant Director of Athletics-Athletic Advancement at Jefferson.
O'Brien was the Jefferson head coach from the inception of the women's rowing program in 2006 through 2022. During his tenure, he coached the Rams to six berths in the NCAA Championships (2008 varsity eight, 2009 team, 2019 team, 2015 varsity eight, 2019 team, 2022 team). O'Brien's teams finished third at the NCAA Championships in 2010 plus fourth in 2009 and 2022.
Under his guidance, Jefferson captured three medals at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta (2007 F/N8 first place, 2012 V4 third place, 2021 V4 second place). O'Brien coached rowers who earned a total of nine All-American honors while competing for the Rams, and he was the national chair of the NCAA Division II Women's Rowing Committee from 2010-14.
O'Brien began his coaching career at Monsignor Bonner High School in 2002 and spent five years as the head freshman coach. In 2004, he made school history by leading the freshman eight to titles at the Catholic League Championship, Stotesbury Cup and High School National Championship, marking the first time that a Bonner freshman crew won all three titles in one season.
O'Brien competed as coxswain at Monsignor Bonner and Villanova University, winning every major regatta at the high school level and then winning a Dad Vail gold medal and competing in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships at the collegiate level. He still competes internationally as a coxswain.
