Coaches

IRC COACHES

Willie Black is the USRowing Coaching Education Manager and staff liaison to the USRowing Safety Committee.  Willie has been involved in rowing for 32 years as an athlete, coach or administrator.  Growing up in Seattle Willie rowed at Green Lake Crew in high school, then for the University of Washington, followed by Lake Washington Rowing Club. Shortly after college he started coaching at Green Lake, and continued at Princeton and then Yale.  He was also an assistant coach at two women’s national team selection camps.  Willie came to USRowing as the logistic coordinator for the US World Championship and Olympic Teams and to manage the Coaching Education program.  Following the completion of two Olympic cycles Willie now focuses on Coaching Education and Safety for USRowing.

Shawn Boyne started rowing in 1977 when “learn to row” programs included talks on how to remove embedded splinters from your hand caused by the use of wooden oars. She began her career in the bow of a novice eight boat that could simultaneously be down to port in the bow and down to starboard in the stern due to the fact that the shell was warped. These early experiences (some of which are actually true) shaped her approach not only to rowing but also to life. Her rowing experience includes a myriad of races around the country in both sweep and sculling events as well as an impressive list of injuries. Her biggest claim to fame in the sport is that she dragged her brother into it (Note:  Shawn’s Brother, Daniel J. Boyne,  wrote the book Essential Sculling).

Courtney Chan began rowing in high school at St. Ignatius (California) and was recruited to row at Syracuse where he sat at bow in the first freshman 8+ and JV 8+.  After college he returned to his high school Alma Mater to coach under John Pescatore (current heavyweight men’s coach at Yale) for several years. His junior crew continually placed in top three at many regional championship races. He continued his coaching career at Lincoln Park Juniors in Chicago where he brought this newly formed team to regional medal stand in a matter of few years. After moving to Indianapolis, he started to coach for the Indianapolis Juniors where his junior men received several medal as the Midwest championship races and his varsity 8+ made the grand finals every year he coached them. He now coaches the Indianapolis masters teams where he continues his coaching success with the masters crews.

Stephen is in the business of speed and likes making boats go fast. Stephen began rowing in 2006 as a freshman at Purdue University. Like many of the others, he did not have any idea what rowing was, but after trying the sport out, Stephen found that the sport and he were extremely compatible. Stephen rowed for three years at Purdue, and while rowing he developed a passion for the sport because it is the ultimate team sport, it fed his competitive appetite, and it is simple and complex at the same time.  After sustaining an injury at the end of his junior year, Stephen returned to Purdue for his senior year as a Novice Men’s Assistant, where he helped make a new group of novice men into a fast group, including SIRA lightweight 8 gold medals, second novice 8 silver medals, and novice 8 finalists, Dad Vail finalists in the novice 4 and 8, and bronze medals for the lightweight 8.  In his free time, Stephen enjoys bowling, cranking up music, watching TV shows that include Survivor, 24, and Family Guy, and being awesome.

Caitlin Gray, full-time IRC Coach and Equiment Manager, began rowing her Freshman year at Purdue University after being recruited off campus her first fall.   Having previously never heard of the sport of rowing, she went to the Purdue Crew callout and has been hooked ever since.  Over her 2005-2009 collegiate rowing career, Caitlin competed and received multiple medals in national regattas such as the San Diego Crew Classic, the S.I.R.A. regatta, and the Dad Vail regatta.  Her senior year Caitlin was named the team’s Most Valuable Oarswoman and was selected for the 2009 ACRA All-American First Team.  Caitlin is currently still rowing and competing at IRC, and is also an active member of CrossFit.

Mikella Robinson: Mikella  rowed for 4 years at Williams College, an NCAA DIII powerhouse, sitting 5-seat in the NCAA championship Varsity 8 her senior year.  Mikella then continued her studies in Germany where she picked up sculling. A dedicated athlete, Mikella ergs and runs frequently.

Eric Stoll: Eric has an extensive coaching background, including coaching collegiately at Villanova and Washington College. He was inducted in the Washington College Hall of Fame in 2008 for his work in rowing. He is the retired director of  IRC and now enjoys teaching the novice men how to row fast.

Greg Wilson: Greg began rowing while in graduate school. He coached the Wabash College Crew and rows competitively with the IRC Masters. While not at the boathouse, Greg enjoys gardening and singing with a men’s choir. He coaches the Juniors’ varsity squad.

Caitlin Gray, James Degrazia, and Bernadette Teeley also coach the junior program.