Under head coach Kevin Sauer, Virginia has established itself as one of the elite women’s rowing programs in the nation. Since the 1st NCAA Championship in 1997, Sauer has led Virginia to 6 top four finishes, including a tie for the national championship in 1999, and another NCAA runner-up finish in 2005. Over the past seven seasons, Sauer’s first varsity eight has compiled a record of 356-86 (.805 winning percentage) in both dual meet (37-13) and multi-boat races (319-73). Honored as the ACC Coach of the Year in 2000, Sauer has helped develop four All-Americans and 12 first-team All-ACC selections in his Cavalier coaching tenure.

Sauer has also coached the United States’ Under-23 World Championship team, Purdue University and Yale University. He was a member of the U.S. National Rowing Team in 1975 and 1977. While at Purdue, he rowed for the United States in the 1975 Pan American Games. He also competed in the 1977 World Rowing Championships.

After volunteering with the varsity squad during the 2004 season, Steve Pritzker assumed full time coaching responsibilities in the spring of 2005, while still a full-time graduate student. He coached the varsity four crew that was undefeated and won both the South-Central and NCAA Championships. He also worked with the South-Central and NCAA Champion varsity four crew in 2004.

Pritzker received a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from UVA’s Darden School in May 2005. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1999. Pritzker rowed competitively as an undergraduate, earning four varsity letters as a coxswain at Yale. He won gold and silver at the Eastern Sprints and won the Temple Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta.

Before coming to UVa in 2005, Roger worked since 1993as the boatman for the University of Wisconsin. A 1976 graduate of the University of Washington, Payne rowed lightweight crew for the Huskies and was a four-time Canadian Henley lightweight doubles champion. Payne also worked as head women's rowing coach at Oregon State University, as well as for Pocock Racing Shells and Owen Racing Shells.

In 1996, Payne was the boatman and assistant coach for the US team at the Nation's Cup (U-23 World Championships). Payne additionally served as boatman for the US at the 1997 and 1998 Nations Cups. In 1999, Payne was the boatman for the US team in the Pan Am Games. He also worked as the US women's double coach at the Midwest Olympic Development Camps from 1999 to 2003.

Payne is an active oarsman and competes in master's events. His wife Kathie is a microbiologist at the UVa medical center. The couple has a son and daughter, Collin and Eva, who both row for the University of Wisconsin.