PULLMAN, Wash. – Allie Eaton and Sam Clifford have joined the Washington State rowing staff as assistant coaches, head coach Jane LaRiviere announced Wednesday. 

"We were very impressed with both Allie and Sam during the interview process and we're excited to have both of them join our Cougar rowing staff," LaRiviere said. "Allie and Sam were teammates at Indiana and both of them know what it takes to be successful at the national level. I know they'll both contribute a lot to our program and we can't wait to get started."

Eaton, who will work with the novice rowers, comes to the Palouse after serving as the Gorge Narrows Rowing Club assistant masters and juniors coach and junior B women's division head coach from April 2018-June 2019 in Victoria, B.C. Prior to that, Eaton was a volunteer assistant novice coach at her alma mater, Indiana, from August 2017-March 2018.

Eaton was a four-year rower at Indiana. In her four years with the Hoosiers, she competed at the NCAA Championships each season; including three times with the varsity eight. Eaton closed her career in 2017 by helping the varsity eight to a third place finish at the Big Ten Championship and a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Championship.

In 2016, Eaton was a member of the second varsity eight and took home 14th place at the NCAA Championships. The year prior, Eaton and varsity eight brought home a 10th place finish at the NCAA Championships. In her freshman season, she helped propel the Hoosiers to a 10th place finish in the program's first appearance at the NCAA Championships.

Eaton graduated from Indiana with a degree in Central Eurasian Studies and minors in history and international studies in 2017. While a member of the rowing team, she was on the dean's list for the College of Arts and Sciences (2016) and was named a Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Scholar Athlete twice (2016, 2017).

Clifford comes to the Palouse after nearly two years as a Row Boston Girls Coach for Community Rowing, Inc. (CRI). Also a 2017 graduate of Indiana, Clifford began rowing in the fall of her freshman year at Fairfield University in Connecticut. Following the 2013-14 season, she spent the summer rowing at US Rowing's Pre-Elite camp and transferred to Indiana to continue her rowing career. 

At Indiana, Clifford rowed two seasons with the varsity squad. During the 2016-17 season, she served as a volunteer assistant coach after medical issues cut her collegiate rowing career short. She received her B.A. in United States history along with a minor in psychology from Indiana in May of 2017.