University of Tennessee Athletics
Rowing
Legrand, Violette
Violette Legrand
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- vlegrand@utk.edu
Recruiting email: Volrowing@utk.edu
Violette Legrand joined the Tennessee rowing program's coaching staff in August of 2023. A former standout rower at Louisville, Legrand serves as one of five Tennessee assistant coaches under head coach Kim Cupini.
“We could not be more excited to welcome Violette to our staff,” Cupini said. “Since graduation as a student-athlete, Violette has continued dedicating herself to the sport and collegiate athletics. She pursued her master’s degree in sports administration and worked alongside colleagues to quickly learn the trade.”
She has been able to develop trust and strong relationships with coaches and student-athletes, which is an exceptional trait that will benefit our program daily. Violette is already regarded highly among her peers and we know she will have an immediate impact on this program.”
In her first season on Rocky Top, Legrand helped lead Tennessee to its best season in program history. The Lady Vols ascended to No. 3 in the CRCA national rankings by season’s end, and placed third nationally—a program-best finish—at the 2024 NCAA Championships.
Legrand and the rest of the Tennessee coaching staff earned the CRCA National Staff of the Year Award for their remarkable efforts in 2023-24.
At the 2024 Big 12 Championships, the Lady Vols tied their best-ever finish, placing second as a team and medaling in all five boats. Tennessee’s five CRCA All-Americans in 2023-24 marked a program record, as UT upped its all-time First Team All-American count from three to seven.
A three-time team captain for the Cardinals as a student-athlete, Legrand most recently served as the volunteer assistant coach for the Louisville rowing program in 2023.
In this role, she supported the coaching staff in the planning and execution of daily practices, along with equipment management. She also assisted Louisville’s director of operations with team logistics.
Also during the 2022-23 academic year, she held a communication and marketing graduate assistant position within Louisville’s athletic department.
“I am incredibly excited and humbled to be a part of the Tennessee family,” Legrand said. “This opportunity has been a dream of mine and it feels surreal to not only be working at the University of Tennessee, but also to be working alongside our amazing new coaching staff. I’d like to thank Kim for trusting me to help lead our student-athletes. I’m so eager to meet the team and build a rowing powerhouse here at UT.”
As a rower at Louisville from 2017-22, Legrand made a name for herself early on and was distinguished as the 2018 ACC Freshman of the Year, while also earning Second Team All-ACC honors in her first collegiate season. She rowed exclusively in the varsity eight boat that season and appeared in all five events. That V8+ crew earned Louisville a program-best third-place finish at ACC Championships and finished fourth at the Clemson Invitational.
In 2019, Legrand appeared in six events as a sophomore, rowing on the V8+ and V4+ boats. She aided the V4+ crew to a first-place finish at the Championship Four at the Head of the Hooch, and finished first with the V8+ crew during the Championship Eight at the Head of the Hooch. She was a member of the V8+ crew that took fifth place in the ACC Championship grand final. Legrand capped the year by being named to the All-ACC second team for a second consecutive season.
The 2021 campaign saw Legrand row in the varsity eight boat at the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational, the Big Ten Invitational, the ACC Championships and versus Notre Dame, Michigan and Iowa. Louisville’s V8 won the Petite Final at the ACC Championships.
A senior in 2022, Legrand was in the varsity eight boat that finished sixth in the grand final of the ACC Championships, with a time of 6:36.284. Earlier that season, she rowed in the V8+ boat that posted a time of 14:08.9 and in the V4 boat that finished with a time of 15:34.43 at the Rivanna Romp. At the Lake Wheeler Invitational, Legrand helped the V8 boat finish second with a time 6:41.725. She was named to the ACC All-Academic team as a senior for a fourth consecutive year.
Prior to Legrand’s impressive collegiate career, she rowed for the Rowing Club de Port Marly and the Société Nautique Du Perreux. In addition, she was a two-time silver medalist in the French Championships.
In all, she holds over 10 years of rowing experience and is certified in CPR, First Aid and AED. Legrand is fluent in French and English. Born in Saint Germain-en-laye, France, Legrand is the daughter of Olivia and Marc-Henri Legrand.
Legrand earned her degree in Sport Administration from Louisville in May of 2021, before earning her Master of Science in Sport Administration in May of 2023.
Violette Legrand joined the Tennessee rowing program's coaching staff in August of 2023. A former standout rower at Louisville, Legrand serves as one of five Tennessee assistant coaches under head coach Kim Cupini.
“We could not be more excited to welcome Violette to our staff,” Cupini said. “Since graduation as a student-athlete, Violette has continued dedicating herself to the sport and collegiate athletics. She pursued her master’s degree in sports administration and worked alongside colleagues to quickly learn the trade.”
She has been able to develop trust and strong relationships with coaches and student-athletes, which is an exceptional trait that will benefit our program daily. Violette is already regarded highly among her peers and we know she will have an immediate impact on this program.”
In her first season on Rocky Top, Legrand helped lead Tennessee to its best season in program history. The Lady Vols ascended to No. 3 in the CRCA national rankings by season’s end, and placed third nationally—a program-best finish—at the 2024 NCAA Championships.
Legrand and the rest of the Tennessee coaching staff earned the CRCA National Staff of the Year Award for their remarkable efforts in 2023-24.
At the 2024 Big 12 Championships, the Lady Vols tied their best-ever finish, placing second as a team and medaling in all five boats. Tennessee’s five CRCA All-Americans in 2023-24 marked a program record, as UT upped its all-time First Team All-American count from three to seven.
A three-time team captain for the Cardinals as a student-athlete, Legrand most recently served as the volunteer assistant coach for the Louisville rowing program in 2023.
In this role, she supported the coaching staff in the planning and execution of daily practices, along with equipment management. She also assisted Louisville’s director of operations with team logistics.
Also during the 2022-23 academic year, she held a communication and marketing graduate assistant position within Louisville’s athletic department.
“I am incredibly excited and humbled to be a part of the Tennessee family,” Legrand said. “This opportunity has been a dream of mine and it feels surreal to not only be working at the University of Tennessee, but also to be working alongside our amazing new coaching staff. I’d like to thank Kim for trusting me to help lead our student-athletes. I’m so eager to meet the team and build a rowing powerhouse here at UT.”
As a rower at Louisville from 2017-22, Legrand made a name for herself early on and was distinguished as the 2018 ACC Freshman of the Year, while also earning Second Team All-ACC honors in her first collegiate season. She rowed exclusively in the varsity eight boat that season and appeared in all five events. That V8+ crew earned Louisville a program-best third-place finish at ACC Championships and finished fourth at the Clemson Invitational.
In 2019, Legrand appeared in six events as a sophomore, rowing on the V8+ and V4+ boats. She aided the V4+ crew to a first-place finish at the Championship Four at the Head of the Hooch, and finished first with the V8+ crew during the Championship Eight at the Head of the Hooch. She was a member of the V8+ crew that took fifth place in the ACC Championship grand final. Legrand capped the year by being named to the All-ACC second team for a second consecutive season.
The 2021 campaign saw Legrand row in the varsity eight boat at the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational, the Big Ten Invitational, the ACC Championships and versus Notre Dame, Michigan and Iowa. Louisville’s V8 won the Petite Final at the ACC Championships.
A senior in 2022, Legrand was in the varsity eight boat that finished sixth in the grand final of the ACC Championships, with a time of 6:36.284. Earlier that season, she rowed in the V8+ boat that posted a time of 14:08.9 and in the V4 boat that finished with a time of 15:34.43 at the Rivanna Romp. At the Lake Wheeler Invitational, Legrand helped the V8 boat finish second with a time 6:41.725. She was named to the ACC All-Academic team as a senior for a fourth consecutive year.
Prior to Legrand’s impressive collegiate career, she rowed for the Rowing Club de Port Marly and the Société Nautique Du Perreux. In addition, she was a two-time silver medalist in the French Championships.
In all, she holds over 10 years of rowing experience and is certified in CPR, First Aid and AED. Legrand is fluent in French and English. Born in Saint Germain-en-laye, France, Legrand is the daughter of Olivia and Marc-Henri Legrand.
Legrand earned her degree in Sport Administration from Louisville in May of 2021, before earning her Master of Science in Sport Administration in May of 2023.
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