Alumni Alert: Huhta as LMU Woman’s Head Coach

KARL HUTAH

MW - Where did you bounce around from there?

After my two years as a volunteer coach I went to Orlando, FL and was a graduate assistant coach with the varsity women’s rowing team at UCF in Orlando. I spent three years at UCF and completed my Master’s degree in sport & fitness with an emphasis in sport leadership and coaching.

After graduating from UCF, I came back to the west coast and was a volunteer at University of California - Berkeley in 2013-2014.

After Berkeley, I went back to Pullman and was the coordinator of operations and boatman for WSU Women’s Rowing for a year. I was promoted to novice coach for the following two years. Most recently, I was promoted again and was the associate head coach for the last two seasons.

CATCHING UP WITH KARL

The New LMU Woman’s Head Coach

Karl Huhta is very well-known in the Cougar Crew community, but he’s been a bit tough to keep track of since he took his last strokes as a senior oarsman in 2008. As the new Director of Rowing & Women’s Head Coach at Loyola Marymount University, he was nice enough to carve out 30 minutes from his busy schedule and fill us in on what he’s been up to. - Mitch Williams ‘10

Mitch Williams - What was your first coaching job after your time as an athlete?

I was a volunteer coach with the women’s rowing team at Washington State University. I took a 5th year victory lap. I had one more semester of classes and I also had to do an internship to get my sports management degree. I was the intern coach for the first year, then I came back for a second year and was the volunteer coach.

MW- How did the LMU job open up to you and what made you interested in it?

I’ve always loved Southern California and have always wanted to live there. I’ve also always wanted to be a head rowing coach. I never would have guessed that I’d be able to do both at the same time.

The job opened up and I knew I had to apply. They called me and asked for a phone interview. A few days later, they asked if I’d like to come down for an inperson interview. A week after that is when they offered me the job.

MW - Talk about the whirlwind of wrapping up things in Pullman, packing up, moving to LA, rounding out a staff, and starting your new role.

Whirlwind is putting it lightly. I had one week of

summer vacation between when my contract ended at WSU to when I had to drive down to LA. My first day at LMU was July 15. From there, I had to begin recruiting, had to find a staff, and had to find a place to live.

MW- What are the one or two things you take away from your time as a coach for the WSU Women’s Rowing Team?

The amount of information I learned cannot be put into words. Reflecting on the events, challenges, victories, and everything else that comes with the job.

It reaffirmed my love of the sport and sharing that love with others. I derive a great amount of passion seeing other people succeed and accomplish things they didn’t think they were capable of. I’m very appreciative of Jane (LaRiviere) for giving me the opportunities she did at WSU. She didn’t have to give me those opportunities, but she did and she did it repeatedly. I’m indebted to her for that.

MW - What do you carry with you from your time on the WSU Men’s Crew Team?

Hard work can get you everything. You don’t need a lot, but if you have the right attitude and the right work ethic, you can produce a lot of really good results.

The things I took away from my time with WSU Men’s Crew have been life-changing. I think about everything we had to do just to be able to row. All the work that went into what we did outside of practice to be successful.

MW - Any workouts that you took away and implemented from your time on the Men’s Team? Boston Massacre? Hooverball? (Laughs)… I admittedly wish I took better notes as a rower and was a student of the sport. If I would have paid more attention to what we did on a day-today basis, that would have helped me excel faster as coach. I was the type of person who showed up every day and said, “Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

Workouts are hard, but they can be fun, too. If you find a way to structure them and lay them out properly, you can incorporate a lot of fun. MW - I’m going to name two places, give me the first words that pop into your head...

Snake River

Beautiful. Can be the greatest place to row… and the worst place to row. It teaches you to row well. Headwinds in both directions. She doesn’t like to be woken up on Saturday mornings!

Marina Del Rey

Fact-check me on this, but I believe it’s one of the largest marinas in the United States. Stunning sunrises. Palm trees. Flat water. Sea life – dolphins, sea turtles, lots of sea lions. Fantastic place to row and to train.

MW - What do you miss most about your time on Cougar Crew?

I miss the guys I rowed with. I miss being with them every day. I do feel like I was pretty good at staying in the moment and appreciating and being grateful for the opportunity to be rowing at Washington State. You don’t realize how good you have it when all you have to do is go to class and row.

MW – You are restaurant connoisseur. Name a can’t miss bite to eat or restaurant in Los Angeles.

Oooooh that’s a good one. I wish I’ve been to more places. There is no shortage of excellent brunch spots. Everywhere you turn, you will find a brunch spot that keeps topping the other ones. Nighthawk Breakfast Bar & Bru’s Wiffle are two fantastic brunch spots.

Thanks Karl and Congradulations!

Go Cougs!