Amanda Callahan began her duties as Head Sailing Coach and Waterfront Coordinator in August of 2007. Since then, the Hawks have consistently been one of the top ten teams in College Sailing based on the Sailing World rankings. Under her coaching, Callahan has developed 30 ICSA All-Americans, earned 29 berths to ICSA National Championships, and won two national championships.
In 2008, the team made their first trip to the ICSA Coed Dinghy National Championships, where they placed fourth in a field of 18. Later that year, she guided Cy Thompson to victory at the ICSA Men’s Singlehanded National Championship, the first sailing national championship in school history. In 2011, the Hawks won the ICSA Team Racing National Championship, the first team racing national championship in school history. In addition, Callahan coached the national championship runners-up in the 2018 ICSA Team Race National Championship, 2012 ICSA Coed Dinghy National Championship, and the 2011 ICSA Sloop National Championship.
2013 was yet another highly successful campaign for Callahan. For the first time in school history, the RWU Women’s team qualified for the Sperry Top-Sider National Championship where they finished 15th overall. That season also marked the first time that RWU qualified for all three National Championship races. Along with the Sperry Top-Sider, they also competed in the APS Team Race and Gill Coed Championships where they finished seventh in both finals.
Callahan came to RWU from Stanford University, where she spent the 2007 season as the assistant coach of the Cardinal sailing team. While at Stanford, she assisted in qualifying two teams for the Collegiate National Championship. Under her tutelage, she assisted in developing two All-American sailors and one honorable mention.
Prior to her post at Stanford, Callahan held the head coaching position at Tufts University during the 2006 season, where she qualified three teams for the spring Collegiate National Championships and guided them to impressive results. The Team Racing squad finished second in its event, while her Coed Dinghy team came in fourth place at the championships.
In addition to her coaching duties, Callahan continues to sail competitively. Her team, Silver Panda, had a banner year in 2007, winning the Triple Crown of team racing: British Team Racing Championship for the Wilson Trophy, the U.S. Sailing Team Racing Championship for the Hinman Trophy, and the ISAF Team Racing World Championship. Silver Panda, the first and only team to complete this feat, was later short listed for the Rolex Sailor of the Year Award. Silver Panda won the ISAF World Championship again in 2009. Outside of team racing, Callahan actively races sunfish and competes in women’s match racing.
A 2003 graduate of William Smith College, Callahan is a member of the 2003 Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association’s All-America Team. She was named captain of the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Varsity Sailing Team in 2001 and 2002.
A native of Canton, Massachusetts, Callahan currently resides in Portsmouth.
