Old Dominion removes ‘interim’ tag from crew coach and Atlantic City graduate Dan Garbutt Learning House

Old Dominion removes ‘interim’ tag from crew coach and Atlantic City graduate Dan Garbutt

July 5, 2011 – 7:05 am

Dan Garbutt, a former Atlantic City High School rower, was an interim head coach the last two years for the Old Dominion University women’s crew program.

After the results Garbutt’s team achieved this season, Old Dominion dropped the word “interim” from his title.

Old Dominion named Garbutt the women’s head coach this week. He’s now the official head of a program that despite being just 3 years old had its women’s varsity eight finish second to Purdue University by 0.33 seconds in the final at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia on May 14.

“I’m really thrilled and excited about being named the head coach,” Garbutt, 32, said Thursday by telephone. “It’s a great opportunity and I’m really thankful to the school. I’m really excited about next year. We return essentially the whole team. I’ll have a chance to complete the four years with the ones that I first coached when they were freshmen .”

The Old Dominion women’s varsity eight was clocked in 6 minutes, 38.82 seconds in the Dad Vail final, just behind Purdue . The Monarchs’ women’s varsity four finished second in 7:30.02 to Villanova University at the event. Neither of those ODU boats made the finals at Dad Vails in 2010.

The Old Dominion varsity eight also was third at the Knecht Cup on the Cooper River in Camden, and the varsity four took fifth. The two Monarchs boats each finished second at the Colonial Athletic Association championships . ODU was third in team scoring.

“Our success this year was overwhelming,” Garbutt said. “The girls wanted to get competitive and they took it to the next level of competitition.”

Garbutt helped then-head coach Heather Weisel start the program in 2008 and he was the freshman-novice coach. Garbutt recruited in Atlantic and Cape May counties.

“There’s a lot of overlap and similarity between here and there,” Garbutt said. “We both row on saltwater, so we each have to wash down the equipment after every row. Also, we’re near Virginia Beach, so it has a summer feel like South Jersey. The potential is great in South Jersey because they have a strong background in the sport. There’s a lot of talent there and they have a blue-collar work ethic.”

Kiersten Stephens, an Ocean City High School graduate, and Shelby Favre are in the varsity four, while Allison Giegerich is the varsity eight coxswain. Kelly McHale and Catie Merendino are members of the second eight. All were sophomores this year, except for Merendino, a freshman.

“I’m so happy coach Garbutt got the position,” said Stephens, 20, the varsity-four stroke and a resident of Seaville in Upper Township. “Now we’ll have him as coach and no one can take him away. We didn’t know if that would happen. I know it’s important to get a good education, but every school offers that. I wanted to go to a school where you love the team and love the coach.”

Giegerich, 20, an Egg Harbor Township resident, added, “It’s great that he’ll be there next year. Coach Garbutt has good techniques and he motivates everyone, and he’s always organized. One of the main reasons I went to Old Dominion was to be part of his program.”

Garbutt rowed for his father, Bob Garbutt Sr., at Atlantic City, and was on the Vikings’ boys varsity eight boat in 1996 that won the Stotesbury Cup and the Nationals before going on to compete at the Henley Royal Regatta in England. Garbutt rowed at Princeton University for four years, and won the Eastern Sprints with the Tigers varsity eight in 1998, 1999 and 2001.

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