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Heavyweight Crew Coaching Staff
Rick Clothier, Head Coach, Director of Rowing
In his tenure, Navy has won seven Ten Eyck trophies at the IRA Championships and three Varsity Challenge Cup titles for varsity eights. Altogether, Navy Heavyweight boats have captured 25 gold medals at the IRAs since returning to this regatta in 1980. Just as important to Clothier as wins is the development of his athletes as men in their career preparation.
"Wins and losses are just one barometer and without question, we will always seek to be successful in this regard," he points out. "However, here at the Naval Academy, it is particularly important that our rowers understand that their athletic experience is a very substantial element in their undergraduate experience. The opportunities for personal growth are nearly limitless within this program. It is very important to me that we are also successful in helping our graduates to live more full and productive lives as a result of their rowing experience."
Clothier points with great pride to graduates who have become Rhodes Scholars and astronauts, as well as countless others who have held senior leadership positions in the military and the private sector as successful examples of this emphasis. "I really believe that these people have more fully reached their potential because of lessons learned within the parameters of the Navy rowing program."
Since 1980, 26 Navy oarsmen have successfully rowed their way onto U.S. national teams, representing the USA in world-level competition, including the Olympics, Pan American Games and the World University Games.
Prior to his return to Navy, Clothier spent five years on the staff of his alma mater, the University of Washington. His lightweight squads were 14-0 in 1970 and 1971, and he directed the Husky freshmen heavyweight eights to a 23-1 record over the next three seasons. His freshman and lightweight crews won four consecutive Western Sprint Championships from 1969-1973.
Clothier won two varsity letters as an undergraduate at Washington, coxing the Huskies' national championship junior varsity crew in 1964 and the Husky varsity eight which won the Western Sprints title in 1965. He holds a B.A. in Physical Education and History and a M.S. in Athletic Administration from Washington. Following graduation, Clothier spent three and one half years as a reserve officer in the Marine Corps. His last tour of duty was spent at the Naval Academy as plebe crew coach and Athletic Recruiting Coordinator.
Clothier twice has been coach of U.S. boats in the Pan American Games. In 1975, he directed two U.S. small boats to gold medals, and in 1983, he was coach of the U.S. eight-oared crew that captured a gold medal. In 1987, Clothier was coach of the U.S. small boats that participated for the first time in the World University Games in Yugoslavia.
Mike Guerrieri, Plebe Heavyweight Coach
Mike Guerrieri is in his first year coaching the plebe heavyweights at Navy.
"I am delighted to have Mike Guerrieri as our new assistant coach," said Clothier. "Mike has already enjoyed much success coaching freshman level athletes and we are looking forward to his working with our team."
"I am excited to have been given the opportunity to coach at Navy," said Guerrieri. "I am looking forward to working hard to help continue Navy's rich rowing tradition."
Guerrieri served as the head coach at Hobart for three years before arriving in Annapolis this fall. While at Hobart his boats totaled three medals at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship and won titles at both the New York State Championship and the Head of the Charles. He was selected as the Liberty League Coach of the Year in both 2004 and '05.
He began his coaching career in 1998 at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, N.J., then moved to the collegiate level the following year as the head freshman coach at Michigan. His freshman eight boats at Michigan won Big Ten titles in 2001 and '02 and placed second at the '02 IRA Regatta.
A successful rower himself,
Guerrieri competed at the Junior World Championship in 1987 and '88 and at the
'89 Henley Royal Regatta in England. He would go on to compete on the
collegiate level at UCLA where he garnered a bronze medal as a member of the
program's varsity eight boat at the 1990 Interscholastic National Rowing
Championship.
Chris Allsopp, Associate Director of Rowing Operations
Allsopp began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Washington. That spring,1977, with Allsopp's help, the Washington varsity crew had one of its most successful seasons that concluded with a Royal Henley Regatta Grand Challenge Cup victory. Allsopp then took a three year break from coaching to pursue his Olympic rowing dreams. He resumed coaching as head coach at Wayne State University and as assistant coach of the Detroit Boat Club from 1981-1983. Following two years as the assistant sculling coach to the 1983-84 U.S. Pan Am/World/Olympic Rowing Teams, he spent the next nine years as Head Crew Coach at the University of New Hampshire. From 1992 to 1998, he was an English teacher, a Dean of Students, and boys' crew coach at South Kent School in Connecticut. Allsopp represented the United States at four World Championships, one Pan American Games, and two Olympic Teams. He earned a silver medal in the double scull at the 1979 Pan American Games and placed fifth in the double scull and quad respectively at the1978 and '79 World Championships. He was an alternate on the 1976 Olympic team and came back to stroke the U.S. Olympic quad in 1980. He did not compete in 1980 Olympics because the United States boycotted the Soviet hosted Olympic Games. A native of Oyster Bay, N.Y., Allsopp competed on the 1971-72 U.S. Junior National Rowing Team before enrolling at the University of Washington. He rowed on Clothier's first undefeated freshman eight, followed by three years in the varsity eight. The Huskies lost but three varsity races during Allsopp's intercollegiate career. Allsopp and his wife, Susie, have four children and live in Arnold.
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Rick Clothier has been Navy's Varsity Crew Coach and
Director of Rowing
since the fall of 1974. Thirty-one years as varsity coach makes his the longest
coaching tenure in the history of intercollegiate rowing at the
Naval Academy which began in 1867.
Chris
Allsopp, who competed for Rick Clothier who was
his freshman coach at the University of Washington, has rejoined his former
coach at the Naval Academy. Allsopp has just switched over within the boathouse
to become the new boatman and associate director of rowing operations. He had
previously been the plebe heavyweight coach at Navy for six years.