With no bitterness towards her alma mater and former employer, Eleanor McElvaine is ready to move on to the next chapter of her life.
McElvaine, a 1981 Cascade High graduate who went on to win three rowing national championships at the University of Washington, was fired Wednesday as the school’s women’s rowing coach with one year remaining on her contract.
While she is sad to be leaving the Huskies, McElvaine said she has no hard feelings towards the school or the athletic department.
“Life is too short for that,” she said.
After a rowing career that earned her induction into the Husky Hall of Fame, McElvaine returned to the school as a women’s novice coach for 13 years before becoming the head coach in 2003.
“Change is hard, but I had a lot of successful years coaching at Washington,” said McElvaine, The Herald’s Woman of the Year in 1984. “I was privileged to work with a lot of really outstanding women and had a great time. I’m pretty proud of what I did there.”
In a statement released by the school Wednesday, athletic director Todd Turner cited a decline in the program’s success for McElvaine’s termination.
“The women’s rowing program at Washington has a history of great success on a national level,” said Turner. “Being among the country’s top programs presents a number of challenges, not the least of which is maintaining our ability to compete for national championships. I have the utmost respect for Eleanor, who has put an indelible stamp on the Husky program both as a student-athlete and coach.”
Turner added that the program “has not been able to maintain its position for the last several years and I feel that it is in the best interests of the long-term direction for the Husky women’s crew to make a change. Eleanor will always be a valued member of the Washington athletics community and I wish her nothing but the best moving forward.”
McElvaine wasn’t caught off guard by the school’s decision.
“I was not surprised,” she said. “I also want to the team to be in contention for a national championship every year.”
After four years rowing for the Huskies, and 17 more coaching, McElvaine plans to take a break from the sport and pursue other career avenues, possibly in real estate.
“It’s time for a change and a new challenge,” she said, “and I will attack whatever that is with the same work ethic that I used in rowing. I’m not too worried. I think I’ll be all right.”
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