Harrison Added to Full-Time Staff, Wright Returns as Graduate Assistant
9/7/2018 4:00:00 PM | Rowing
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan rowing program has added 2017 graduate assistant Dan Harrison to its coaching staff as a full-time assistant, head coach Mark Rothstein announced on Friday (Sept. 7). The staff also welcomes the return of former All-American Kate Wright to the staff as a graduate assistant coach.
"I am excited to elevate Dan to our full-time coaching staff, and we are truly thrilled to have Kate rejoining the program," said Rothstein.
"Dan is an outstanding coach who did great work for our program in his first year with Michigan. He has demonstrated his expertise and shown his value in a number of important areas. Dan has proven himself to be a perfect fit for our coaching staff and team culture, and we look forward to watching him continue to grow in his role as a full-time assistant coach."
"With the addition of Kate to our coaching staff, we will benefit from having another All-American rower around our program. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this position, and she also has the respect of her former teammates who are still on the team. Kate has always possessed a high rowing IQ and we are excited to watch her put that to work as a coach."
Harrison joined the staff in September 2017. In his first year with the program, he assisted with varsity coaching and was heavily involved in recruiting. He helped U-M finish seventh at the NCAA Championships last spring while working with the program's four All-American honorees.
In his new role, Harrison will work with the novice program, which has had consistently strong finishes at the Big Ten Championships in recent years, including the first novice eight boat placing first at the conference event last spring. He will be responsible for coaching and developing the novice rowers, recruiting and evaluating prospective student-athletes and coordinating with the athletic communications office.
A native of Lakeville, Minnesota, Wright returns to Ann Arbor after one year away from the sport. While at U-M, she earned a degree in psychology with a minor in medical anthropology, and she was also a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in her senior season. She will pursue a degree from the School of Social Work this year.
On the water, Wright was a two-time CRCA All-American (first and second team honors) and a three-time all-region honoree. She also secured a pair of first-team All-Big Ten accolades while helping U-M to earn three runner-up showings at the Big Ten Championships. U-M finished top-10 in the NCAA in each of her four seasons of competition, including a third-place showing in her senior season, the best national finish for the program since 2012.
In her new role as part of the U-M staff, Wright will be assisting with both the novice and varsity programs and she will also be involved in recruiting.
Michigan opens up its fall season on Sunday (Sept. 17) racing against Eastern Michigan at home on Lake Belleville.
