University of California at Berkeley assistant men’s crew coach Wyatt Allen will succeed Topher Bordeau as the next men’s heavyweight coach, Friends of Dartmouth Rowing announced Monday. The softball, women’s crew and men’s lacrosse teams will continue to seek new coaches in a transitional summer for the Big Green.
Former men’s heavyweight crew coach Topher Bordeau coached at Dartmouth for nine years, spending eight of those years as head coach, before his contract was not renewed this summer.
“Coach was a brilliant guy and a nice guy,” Andrew Kenealy ’15 said. “He was really motivating and had a great knowledge of the physiological aspect of the sport, knew what we had to do to get in really good shape and to get really strong at the right times.”
Without a coach this summer, the team has not had structured rowing practice, Jamie Billings ’16 said.
“It can be a little harder to stay in shape when you don’t have that,” he said. “Moving forward, I think people will be motivated to get in good shape to impress the next coach.”
Allen, who will fill this role, has found past success on and off the water. Allen won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and bronze in 2008. Since then, he has coached in assistant positions at multiple schools with powerhouse rowing programs, spending a year at the University of Washington before coaching for five years at Berkeley.
“He’s got a really impressive resume and that’s going to command respect,” Billings said.
Allen was slated to join Princeton University for the 2014 season as an assistant coach, but was hired by the College within a month of that announcement.
Former men’s lacrosse coach Andy Towers will not return for a sixth year as head coach. A 5-21 record over the last two years accompanies the end of Towers’s tenure. The new head coach will join a Dartmouth lacrosse program that has not finished above .500 since 2006.
Softball coach Rachel Hanson left Hanover under different circumstances. After winning an Ivy League Championship in just her fourth year on the job, Hanson is leaving for the same position at Stanford University.
“Obviously, it’s sad for us to have her go,” Morgan McCalmon ’16 said. “She’s just an incredible coach and this is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her.”
Hanson leaves behind a seasoned roster, with only two seniors departing from last year’s Ivy-winning squad. The Big Green finished 18-2 in the Ivy League last season.
The transition will not change team expectations, Kelsey Miller ’16 said.
“We’re not worried,” she said. “The next season will bring new changes and new challenges for the team.”
Some Dartmouth teams allow their players to consult on new coaching hires. The heavyweight crew team had a panel of four teammates, Greg Zales ’16, Bobby Moffit ’16, Sam Seder ’15 and Billings, help interview coaches. The softball team continues to meet with potential new coaches, McCalmon said.
Miller said players are meeting two potential new head coaches shortly.
