Hobart and William Smith Colleges Athletics

Paul Bugenhagen serves as the Hobart and William Smith director of rowing and head coach of the William Smith rowing team. He joined the HWS coaching staff in 2011 as the head coach of Hobart rowing and in 2020, added head coach of William Smith rowing to his responsibilities. Bugenhagen took on his current role as director of rowing and head coach of the Herons for the 2023-24 academic year.

Bugenhagen led the Statesmen for 12 years. He was the 2014 Joy of Sculling Collegiate Coach of the Year and earned three ECAC NIRC Coach of the Year awards and six Liberty League Men's Rowing Coaching Staff of the Year awards. Bugenhagen led Hobart to 10 consecutive Liberty League Championships and guided 10 crews to gold medal-winning performances at the NIRC as well as 11 additional podium finishes at the NIRC. He has mentored three U.S. National Team members, 10 Liberty League Crews of the Year and 42 All-Liberty League selections. In the classroom, his charges have picked up 109 Liberty League All-Academic awards, 36 NIRC All-Academic selections and 10 CRCA Scholar-Athletes.

In 2022, Bugenhagen guided the Statesmen to their 16th consecutive Liberty League Championship. Hobart's varsity eight was named the Liberty League Crew of the Year after claiming a gold medal in the varsity eight race for the 17th consecutive season. Hobart also won a gold medal in the 2V and N4 races at the regatta. At the NIRC Championship, the Statesmen finished in the top five in all three races they entered. Hobart's V4 was 14th overall at the IRA Championship. William Smith was fourth in the varsity eight and novice four races at this year's Liberty League Championship. The Herons also competed at the NIRC, finishing 15th in the V8 race and ninth in the V4 competition. 

During the spring of 2021, Bugenhagen and the Statesmen won their 15th Liberty League Championship. Hobart won gold medals in the 1V and 2V and crossed the line second in the 3V. The team finished 17th overall in team points highlighted by the second and third varsity eights reaching program-best finishes of 15th overall.

In 2018-19, Bugenhagen guided Hobart to its 14th consecutive Liberty League Championship. The Statesmen claimed the gold medal in the varsity eight race for the 15th consecutive season, and the 2V collected a gold medal as well. After the championship, Hobart's varsity eight was named the Liberty League Crew of the Year. At the NIRC Championships, Hobart won three medals for the seventh straight season. The Statesmen nabbed a gold medal in the 1V, 2V, and 3V. At the IRA Championships, the varsity eight finished 23rd overall, the 2V finished 17th, and the 3V finished 18th. The varsity eight finished the season ranked No. 22 in the USRowing Coaches Poll. The 2V finished ranked No. 19 and the 3V ended the year ranked No. 17. In his first season in charge of William Smith, he helped the Herons place third at the conference championship in the varsity and second varsity eights. 

In 2017-18, Bugenhagen coached Hobart to its 13th consecutive Liberty League Championship. The Statesmen claimed the gold medal in the varsity eight race for the 14th consecutive season. Following the championship, Hobart's varsity eight was named the Liberty Crew of the Year. Hobart also won a gold medal in the second varsity eight at the conference championship regatta. At the end of the year NIRC Championships, Hobart won three medals for the sixth straight season. The third varsity eight won gold, the second varsity eight claimed a silver medal and the varsity eight nabbed a bronze medal. 

In 2016-17, Bugenhagen directed the Statesmen to their 12th consecutive Liberty League Championship. The 2V8, which won a gold medal as the varsity eight at the conference championships, was named the Liberty League Crew of the Year. The Statesmen also won gold in the 2V at the Liberty League Championships. At the NIRC Championships, Hobart won three medals for the fifth straight season. The Statesmen won gold medals in the 1V, 2V, and 3V. The 2V finished 18th overall at the IRA Championships while the 1V was 20th. 

Bugenhagen guided Hobart to its 11th consecutive Liberty League Championship in 2015-16. The varsity eight, which was receiving votes in every USRowing.com poll, was named the Liberty League Crew of the Year. The Statesmen also won a gold medal in the second varsity eight. At the NIRC Championships, the Statesmen collected three medals for the fourth straight season, one gold (2V) and two silver medals (1V and 3V). All three boats competed at the IRA National Championships in New Jersey. 

In 2014-15, Bugenhagen coached Hobart to its 10th consecutive Liberty League Championship. The varsity eight, which ranked as high as 18th in the USRowing.com poll, was named the Liberty League Crew of the Year. The Statesmen's 2V8, 3V8, and varsity 4 all won gold medals at the conference championships. In the fall, Bugenhagen helped the Statesmen return to the podium at the Head of the Charles for the first time since 2007. Hobart won silver medals. At the ECAC NIRC Championships, the Statesmen collected three medals for the third straight season, one gold (2V8) and two silver medals (1V, and 3V). Hobart entered three eights in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships. The varsity eight finished fourth in the third level final to finish 16th overall, the highest ever finish by a Statesmen eight.  Hobart completed the 2014-15 season across at the Henley Royal Regatta. The Statesmen reached the quarterfinals before being knocked out by Columbia University. 

Bugenhagen led the Statesmen to another successful year in 2013-14. Hobart won its ninth consecutive Liberty League Championship. The varsity eight, which ranked as high as 17th in the USRowing poll, was named the Liberty League Crew of the Year. The second varsity eight also won a gold medal at the event. At the New York State Championships, Hobart swept the eights events, securing state titles in the varsity eight, second varsity eight and third varsity eight. The fourth varsity eight finished third in the 3V8 championship race. At the ECAC National Invitational Championships, the Statesmen brought home three medals. The varsity eight captured the gold medal, while the second varsity eight earned a bronze and the third varsity eight a silver. The gold medal was the program's first in the varsity eight at the ECAC Championships and helped the Statesmen 1V8 cap an undefeated Spring season. The Statesmen entered three varsity eights in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships. The varsity eight won the fourth level final to finish 19th overall, the highest ever finish by a Statesmen eight. 

In 2012-13, Bugenhagen guided Statesmen to their eighth consecutive Liberty League Championship. The gold medal winning varsity eight was named Liberty League Crew of the Year and the champion novice eight was tabbed the conference's Novice Crew of the Year. At the New York State Championships, the Statesmen swept the eights events, securing state titles for the varsity eight, second varsity eight and third varsity eight. The victory in the varsity eight was the programs first since 1996. At the ECAC National Invitational Championships, the Statesmen brought home three medals. The varsity eight and varsity four won bronze medals and the third varsity eight tied a program best performance, winning the silver medal. The bronze medal performance by the varsity eight marked the first time in a decade Hobart had been on the ECAC podium.

In his first season, Bugenhagen directed Hobart to its seventh consecutive Liberty League Championship. The Statesmen brought home gold medals in the varsity eight and second varsity eight and a silver medal in the novice four from the conference championships. In top form throughout the year, Hobart collected seven of the Liberty League's 11 Boat of the Week awards. Bugenhagen's Statesmen also won a gold medal in the second varsity eight and a bronze medal in the varsity eight at the New York State Championships, where Hobart and William Smith won its first All-Points Trophy.

Bugenhagen came to Hobart after six successful seasons as the head coach of the Bucknell men's rowing team. The 2009 ACRA Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year oversaw the development of five ACRA All-Americans, including two in 2010-11, six ACRA All-Mid-Atlantic pics, and 18 ACRA National Academic Team honorees. He also mentored former Bison Kyle Lafferty, who won the men’s pair at the 2011 Senior World Championship Trials and won the four at the 2011 USRowing National Championships.

Additionally, Bugenhagen spent three summers as the head coach of the pre-elite program at the Vesper Boat Club in Philadelphia. At Vesper, he coached eight U.S. National Champions and 10 crews to gold medals at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. Bugenhagen also spent three summers as an assistant coach for the U.S. National Team.

Prior to Bucknell, Bugenhagen spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Princeton University. He also has served as the head coach of the Carnegie Lake Rowing Association in Princeton, N.J., and of Gainesville Area Rowing.

Bugenhagen earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in exercise and sports science from the University of Florida. He is a USRowing Level III and FISA Level II certified coach.