Stetson Rowing head coach Mark Wilson recently announced the addition of Stephen Harris to the Hatters’ coaching staff. Harris comes to Stetson after two-and-a-half years as the head coach at Washington University in St. Louis.

Harris joins Wilson and assistant coach Ryan Worth to give the Hatters three full-time coaches for the first time in the history of the program.

“I am thrilled to have Stephen join the Hatter Coaching Staff and hope that his energy, experience and drive is contagious with our current team and the teams of the future,” said Wilson. “Stephen brings a great deal of experience from his past positions and personal rowing, and I am confident he will make a lasting positive impression on the program. Stephen will work with both our men’s and women’s teams and as Stetson Rowing continues to grow in size and quality his ability to manage various aspects of the team will be invaluable.”

A Satellite Beach, Fla., native, Harris guided the Bears through impressive growth. While at Wash U., Harris was responsible for a 50 percent improvement in the retention of student-athletes, while also spearheading fund-raising efforts which led to improved equipment and facilities.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to join the Hatters with so much energy and development already in place,” Harris said. “Coach Wilson and Coach Worth have done a tremendous job in shaping the program, and I am excited to be part of the future of Stetson Rowing.”

“After spending the past six years in the Midwest, I am excited to be returning to Central Florida as it has become a hot bed for rowing in the Southeast. I believe Stetson is promoting this trend as an institution that provides a quality education to student-athletes, along with one of the greatest bodies of water to train on in the country.”

Prior to his time at Wash U., Harris was the varsity women’s coach at Northwestern University during the 2012-13 academic year. As a competitive club program, the women competed at the Dad Vail Regatta and placed fourth overall among DI Varsity programs in the Women’s Varsity 4+.

After graduating from UCF in 2009 with a B.S. in Physical Education, Harris spent three seasons as the head men’s freshman rowing coach at Marietta College in Ohio, which he capped with a strong recruiting class and a coveted Dad Vail Gold Medal crew in the Heavyweight Freshman/Novice 8+ in 2012.

Harris has also served as an instructor at the Naval Academy’s Rowing Camp for Girls, and was a member of UCF’s Crew Club, serving as team captain during the 2005-06 season.

“Stetson University is giving the rowing program the tools needed to make continued progress and allowing this new position to be filled with a quality individual is fantastic,” said Wilson. “We have come a long way in three-and-a-half years since my arrival in DeLand and the future is truly bright.”

GOHATTERS.COM