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Graves Named Head Women’s Rowing Coach
7/11/2023 4:00:00 PM | Women's Rowing
Graves transitions from the heavyweight rowing team as an assistant coach to lead the Big Green women’s program
HANOVER, N.H. — Mike Harrity, Dartmouth's Haldeman Family Director of Athletics and Recreation, announced on Monday that John Graves has been named the head coach of the Dartmouth women's rowing program. Graves is no stranger to the Friends of Dartmouth Rowing boathouse, as he has served as an assistant coach for the Big Green's top-10 nationally ranked men's heavyweight rowing team for the past two seasons and served on the staff of the Texas NCAA national champion women's rowing program in 2021.
"John distinguished himself during our national search to become the next leader of Dartmouth women's rowing," Harrity said. "He has demonstrated excellence both as an athlete and a coach throughout his career. John's coaching approach is informed by his passion for the science of rowing combined with his rare ability to connect with and make the people around him better. We are excited to support John's vision for elevating the Dartmouth women's rowing program."
Graves has extensive experience in collegiate women's rowing. Prior to Dartmouth, he was a volunteer assistant coach on the 2020-21 University of Texas Women's Rowing staff that was named CRCA Staff of the Year, as the Longhorns won the 2021 NCAA Championship. Graves also has experience as volunteer assistant for the University of Michigan Women's Rowing program in 2016-17, helping the Wolverines to their best-ever finish (third place) at the 2017 NCAA Championship.
During this past school year, Graves was the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under Wyatt Allen, the Betsy and Mark Gates 1959 Head Coach of Men's Heavyweight Rowing and a former Olympic gold medalist. As a team, the Big Green finished seventh at the 2023 IRA National Championship, which included Graves leading the second varsity eight to a fifth-place finish at IRAs and leading the third varsity eight to a bronze medal at the Eastern Sprints.
In Graves' first season at Dartmouth, he helped lead the Big Green to a fifth-place overall finish as a team. Specifically, Graves led the third varsity eight to fourth place at IRAs, and coached the fourth and fifth varsity eights to silver and gold medals at Eastern Sprints, respectively.
"First of all, I want to thank Mike Harrity and his team for this opportunity and their belief in my vision for the women's program," said Graves. "It was particularly exciting to me to hear we were aligned in our goals for the program and I couldn't be more excited to work with Wyatt and Trevor (Michelson, interim head coach of men's lightweight rowing) to usher in an unprecedented era of success at the boathouse."
Graves is also a veteran of the United States National Rowing program. As an athlete, he was an eight-time U.S. National Team member and two-time Olympic Trials winner. He represented the U.S. at 28 international regattas, competing as a sculler, lightweight and heavyweight. Outside of the U.S. team, Graves also won the championship single and championship at the Head of the Charles. He was part of the "Great Sculling 8+," made of the top scullers in the world. In addition, Graves was a bronze medalist in the 2014 Lucerne World Cup in the men's quad.
Also involved in the U.S. National program as a coach, Graves is currently serving as lead coach for the U.S. U23 Men's National Team Camp (M8+/M4+) for the 2023 World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
John is joined in the Upper Valley by his wife, Felice Mueller, an accomplished elite rower who finished fourth at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and is a two-time world champion, and newborn daughter Zaida.
"John distinguished himself during our national search to become the next leader of Dartmouth women's rowing," Harrity said. "He has demonstrated excellence both as an athlete and a coach throughout his career. John's coaching approach is informed by his passion for the science of rowing combined with his rare ability to connect with and make the people around him better. We are excited to support John's vision for elevating the Dartmouth women's rowing program."
| WHAT THEY'RE SAYING |
| "John is one of the best young coaches I've had the pleasure of being around and we now have big shoes to fill on our staff. I'm excited to see him bring his technical expertise, his knowledge of elite training and physiology and most importantly, his passion for our sport and competing at the highest level to the women's program. I'm also thrilled that John and his family will be in the Upper Valley for the foreseeable future!" — Wyatt Allen, Betsy and Mark Gates 1959 Head Coach of Men's Heavyweight Rowing |
| ""Dartmouth has made a terrific hire with John Graves. He's a really smart, thoughtful and caring individual who's going to be an outstanding coach for their women's team. I very much enjoyed working with him and continue to value his insight. Our team really benefited from his undying work ethic and endless positivity, and he certainly made us a better team. Congratulations, John and the Dartmouth women. I wish you the best." — Dave O'Neil, University of Texas Head Women's Rowing Coach |
| "John's technical knowledge, his passion for the sport of rowing, and the fact that he has been mentored by one of the best coaches in the world, Dartmouth's Wyatt Allen, makes him the ideal coach to take women's rowing at Dartmouth to new heights. As a world-class athlete himself, Coach Graves will inspire not only with his words, but also by his actions." — Martha Beattie '76, Dartmouth Women's Rowing Pioneer and current volunteer assistant coach |
| "Dartmouth has made an outstanding hire in John Graves to be their next head coach. John is hard-working, smart and a terrific teacher. Most importantly, he is an amazing person who will lead the program in the right way. The student-athletes will love rowing for John." — Mark Rothstein, University of Michigan Head Women's Rowing Coach |
| "John is a superb choice to be the next leader of Dartmouth women's rowing; I've known John since his time as a standout undergraduate athlete and his rowing mind and approach to the sport are simply world-class. John knows what it takes to succeed and I can imagine that the boathouse dynamic with the other head coaches will be cooperative and inspirational. Congratulations, John and DWR!" — Wesley Ng, University of Pennsylvania Head Women's Rowing Coach |
| "The women of Dartmouth rowing are exceptionally lucky to have the talented John Graves at the helm. John has a keen technical eye and his experience at Dartmouth so far, and previously with elite-level women, will serve the program well. I'm looking forward to watching the program continue to make progress!" — Nancy LaRocque, Departing Dartmouth Head Women's Rowing Coach |
Graves has extensive experience in collegiate women's rowing. Prior to Dartmouth, he was a volunteer assistant coach on the 2020-21 University of Texas Women's Rowing staff that was named CRCA Staff of the Year, as the Longhorns won the 2021 NCAA Championship. Graves also has experience as volunteer assistant for the University of Michigan Women's Rowing program in 2016-17, helping the Wolverines to their best-ever finish (third place) at the 2017 NCAA Championship.
During this past school year, Graves was the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under Wyatt Allen, the Betsy and Mark Gates 1959 Head Coach of Men's Heavyweight Rowing and a former Olympic gold medalist. As a team, the Big Green finished seventh at the 2023 IRA National Championship, which included Graves leading the second varsity eight to a fifth-place finish at IRAs and leading the third varsity eight to a bronze medal at the Eastern Sprints.
In Graves' first season at Dartmouth, he helped lead the Big Green to a fifth-place overall finish as a team. Specifically, Graves led the third varsity eight to fourth place at IRAs, and coached the fourth and fifth varsity eights to silver and gold medals at Eastern Sprints, respectively.
"First of all, I want to thank Mike Harrity and his team for this opportunity and their belief in my vision for the women's program," said Graves. "It was particularly exciting to me to hear we were aligned in our goals for the program and I couldn't be more excited to work with Wyatt and Trevor (Michelson, interim head coach of men's lightweight rowing) to usher in an unprecedented era of success at the boathouse."
Graves is also a veteran of the United States National Rowing program. As an athlete, he was an eight-time U.S. National Team member and two-time Olympic Trials winner. He represented the U.S. at 28 international regattas, competing as a sculler, lightweight and heavyweight. Outside of the U.S. team, Graves also won the championship single and championship at the Head of the Charles. He was part of the "Great Sculling 8+," made of the top scullers in the world. In addition, Graves was a bronze medalist in the 2014 Lucerne World Cup in the men's quad.
Also involved in the U.S. National program as a coach, Graves is currently serving as lead coach for the U.S. U23 Men's National Team Camp (M8+/M4+) for the 2023 World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
John is joined in the Upper Valley by his wife, Felice Mueller, an accomplished elite rower who finished fourth at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and is a two-time world champion, and newborn daughter Zaida.
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