Ahen Kim - Head Coach - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Ahen Kim

Title:
Head Coach

Duke University Vice President and Director of Athletics Nina King announced Ahen Kim as the head coach of the rowing program in January 2026. Kim, a two-time conference coach of the year with more than 16 years of collegiate coaching experience, is the sixth head coach in the program's history.

Kim brings a proven track record of success from his head coaching stints at American University and Brown University, where he guided both programs to conference championships, NCAA Tournament berths and record-setting seasons, while developing all-conference and nationally recognized student-athletes.

Kim arrives in Durham after spending the past three seasons as the head coach at American University. During his tenure, he compiled a 64-25 overall record and a .719 winning percentage. In 2025, Kim led the Eagles to a historic season, posting a 25-5 overall mark, capturing the Patriot League Championship and earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Kim was tabbed the 2025 Patriot League Coach of the Year, while leading his program to a sweep of the league’s major awards, highlighted by selections for player of the year, setter of the year, rookie of the year and libero of the Year.

In both the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, Kim guided American to 20-win seasons, marking the most wins posted by the program since the 24-win season in 2019. He led the Eagles to the Patriot League Tournament championship match in 2023 and the quarterfinals in 2024.

During his three seasons with the Eagles, Kim mentored 12 players to All-Patriot League honors, including multiple major award winners and nationally recognized performers. He coached the 2023 Patriot League Player of the Year, an AVCA All-Region selection and AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honoree, as well as the league’s 2023 setter of the year and 2024 rookie of the year.

From 2018-22, Kim served as the head coach at Brown University. During his tenure, he led the Bears to the 2021 Ivy League Championship and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 20 years, before returning to the Ivy League Championship match in 2022. Kim produced 13 All-Ivy selections, including five major conference award winners.

In 2021, Kim was named Ivy League Coach of the Year as Brown swept the conference’s top honors, including player of the year, defensive player of the year and rookie of the year accolades, while his student-athletes earned AVCA All-Region honors and AVCA All-America recognition.

Prior to his time as a head coach, Kim served as an assistant coach at American University from 2012-18, helping guide the program to an impressive 162-42 ledger. During that span, he helped lead the Eagles to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including three tournament victories.

Kim also coached and recruited three AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honorees, six AVCA All-Region selections and three Patriot League Players of the Year, while overseeing the development of five Patriot League Tournament MVPs, 17 Patriot League All-Tournament selections and 15 First Team All-Patriot League recipients.

Kim also brings professional coaching experience, having served as the Director of Volleyball for the Gwangju Peppers, a professional club based in South Korea.

A 2007 graduate of Franklin and Marshall College, Kim earned his degree in sociology and American government. He is married to former collegiate volleyball standout Amy Pauly, who currently serves as the head coach of the Orlando Pro Volleyball Federation.