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10:30 a.m., July 30, 2003--Laura Slice, a former standout student-athlete and assistant coach at Clemson University, has been hired as the University of Delaware's new women's rowing head coach, UD Director of Athletics Edgar N. Johnson announced July 28.

Slice, 26, who served as a graduate assistant with the women's rowing program at Clemson the previous three seasons, will begin her tenure at Delaware on Aug. 18.

She replaces Amanda Kukla, who resigned in June to accept a sales position with Vespoli Inc., a maker of racing shells based in New Haven, Conn.

Kukla was the only head coach in the five-year varsity history of the sport at Delaware and led the team to unofficial Colonial Athletic Association team championships each of the past two seasons. In addition, the team captured the women's team title at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta during the 2001 season.

"We are excited to have Laura Slice join our staff and head our women's rowing program here at the University of Delaware," Johnson said. "She brings energy and enthusiasm to the position and joins us following an outstanding experience at a strong program at Clemson the past three seasons. Our women's rowing team has enjoyed great success over a short period of time and we are confident that Laura will continue that momentum."

A native of Florence, S.C., where she participated in softball, cross country and track and field at West Florence High School, Slice moved on to Clemson where she picked up the sport of rowing and competed three years for the club team, earning the squad's Most Dedicated Rower award as a junior.

The sport was elevated to varsity status her senior year, when she was named Most Inspirational Rower and led the team to a first-place finish at the Atlantic Coast Conference regatta and a fourth-place finish at the Central Region regatta. She graduated from Clemson in 1999, earning honors in biological sciences.

After graduation, Slice worked one year with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Florence before returning to Clemson to begin her coaching career in 2000. She served as a graduate assistant coach under head coach Susie Lueck for three seasons, helping the Tigers place third at the ACC championships in both 2002 and 2003 and place fourth in the South Regional in 2003.

Clemsn’s 2002 team was ranked as high as No. 15 in the nation at one point, and she led the second varsity fours team to a third-place finish at the South Regionals.

While with the Clemson staff, she was responsible for coaching the varsity fours, second varsity fours, second novice eights and second novice fours crews. Also, she assisted with on-campus recruiting, worked closely with student managers and wrote a monthly newsletter to parents and prospective student-athletes.

Slice earned her master's degree in education and student affairs with honors from Clemson this past spring.