Alumni Spotlight: Gulliver Scott MA '19

Following his graduate work at UNM, he returned to the Bay Area and worked in the Oakland Public School District, and also found his way back to coaching crew. He served in a variety of roles at his alma mater, Berkeley High School, including Team Director, and led the BHS women’s crew to multiple medals at the regional and national levels. Scott was also the Men’s Head Coach for East Bay Rowing Club. Thanks to a strong network and a resume filled with coaching experience, Scott was offered the opportunity to be the Assistant Coach of Women’s Rowing at Saint Mary’s College in August 2017. After a year spent coaching the Gaels, he joined the Graduate Kinesiology program. He knew this degree was tailored to offer him the necessary skills and qualifications to become a successful head coach at the collegiate level. His work paid off as he was promoted to the position of Associate Head Coach in the Fall of 2019, shortly after graduating from the program.

Scott’s time in this position was brief as he was recently hired as the Head Coach of the Women’s Rowing team at the University of Portland. He believes that the Philosophical Basis of Kinesiology and Psychological Analysis of Sport & Exercise courses at SMC helped him build his coaching philosophy and, in particular, have helped him guide his athletes in facing some of the complexities of the pandemic. He expresses that the pandemic “has been a challenge from an athletic standpoint due to all the regulations and restrictions which have been put in place. However, athletics offers a support network and structure for athletes. Problem-solving and resiliency are attributes student-athletes are known to have. In these difficult and confusing times, I try to emphasize as much as I can the value in focusing on day-to-day achievements. This mentality instills an appreciation of delayed gratification in our athletes, which is paramount when trying to overcome many obstacles in life.” This illustrates Coach Scott’s philosophy of sports as well as the influence the Graduate Kinesiology program has had on his approach to coaching and developing college athletes.  

In addition to Scott’s duties as a head coach, he is also the co-chair of the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association’s (CRCA) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, reflecting his commitment to the Lasallian value of social justice. The CRCA is a national organization of rowing coaches devoted to the promotion of women’s rowing as a collegiate sport as well as increasing diversity, inclusion, and equity within the sport. Although he will be coaching against the Gaels in future races, we are rooting for Scott and the impact he will have on the next generation of collegiate rowers.