A 1985 graduate of Trinity College where he was a co-captain of the
Bantams varsity heavyweight crew, Phil is in his 22nd year at Wesleyan and holds the
rank of adjunct professor of physical education. Phil coached the frosh at Trinity for two
seasons before coming to Wesleyan in 1987. Phil
has won several medals at the USRA Nationals as a
member of the Pioneer Valley Rowing Association
and has been active in coaching lightweight men
since that time as well. He was a U.S. Rowing
lightweight development coach in both 1988 and
1992. In 1993, Phil founded the Riverfront
Recapture Rowing Club, a community rowing program
serving the Hartford area. He continued in his
role as head coach there through 1996. In the
summer of 1997, Phil served as a guest coach at
the Craftsbury Sculling Center in Vermont. In the
summer of 1999, Phil took over the head coaching
job for the Middletown parks and recreation
department crew program and for several year fashioned a team
that went on to
compete during the fall at the Head of the
Connecticut and the Head of the Charles Regattas. Last year all
three of Phil's varsity eights (first varsity-bronze, second
varsity-silver and third varsity-bronze)
captured a medal at the New England Rowing Championships.
Norm Graf- Associate Coach
Formerly the head crew
coach at Trinity College for nearly 20 years,
Norm Graf joined the Wesleyan coaching staff in 1995, serving as
an associate coach through 2002.
He returned to lend a hand again in 2006-07 after a four-year
hiatus and completed his second straight year with the program again in 2007-08. A 1951 graduate of Rutgers, where he rowed for
four years, Norm also coached the Yale
lightweights for five years during the 1960s.
With an impressive 85-percent varsity winning
percentage during his tenure at Trinity, Norm led
his men's varsity crew to a 1976 victory in the
Ladies Plate event at the Henley Royal Regatta.
In recent years, Norm has spent a portion of his summers
at the Craftsbury Center in Vermont, as well as
coaching two masters women's crews to the
Canadian Masters Championship.
Justin Watson - Assistant Coach
Justin Watson officially joins the
Wesleyan crew coaching staff for the first time in 2008-09.
After graduating from Franklin Pierce in 2007, Justin began coaching
at his high-school alma mater, Middletown High while also handling
duties with a women's masters program. During the spring of
2008, he helped Wesleyan with a men's four but now will assume a
larger role within the Cardinals' program. Justin also has
experience coaching in the Middletown Park and Recreation program.
Justin began his rowing career at the age of 14 by way of the same
Middletown Parks and Recreation rowing program. At Middletown High,
Justin was a four-year varsity rower and served as a team captain
while earning team MVP honors. At Franklin Pierce, Justin was
the stroke of the varsity boat. He competed annually in many
historic New England events including the Head of the Charles, Head
of the Fish, the New Hampshire Championships and the Textile River
Regatta. Justin won the FPC men's crew Most Valuable Rower award two
years in a row (2005 and 2006), and in 2007 was honored with the
team's prestigious Coach's Award.
A 1985 graduate of Trinity College where he was a co-captain of the
Bantams varsity heavyweight crew, Phil is in his 22nd year at Wesleyan and holds the
rank of adjunct professor of physical education. Phil coached the frosh at Trinity for two
seasons before coming to Wesleyan in 1987. Phil
has won several medals at the USRA Nationals as a
member of the Pioneer Valley Rowing Association
and has been active in coaching lightweight men
since that time as well. He was a U.S. Rowing
lightweight development coach in both 1988 and
1992. In 1993, Phil founded the Riverfront
Recapture Rowing Club, a community rowing program
serving the Hartford area. He continued in his
role as head coach there through 1996. In the
summer of 1997, Phil served as a guest coach at
the Craftsbury Sculling Center in Vermont. In the
summer of 1999, Phil took over the head coaching
job for the Middletown parks and recreation
department crew program and for several year fashioned a team
that went on to
compete during the fall at the Head of the
Connecticut and the Head of the Charles Regattas. Last year all
three of Phil's varsity eights (first varsity-bronze, second
varsity-silver and third varsity-bronze)
captured a medal at the New England Rowing Championships.
Justin Watson officially joins the
Wesleyan crew coaching staff for the first time in 2008-09.
After graduating from Franklin Pierce in 2007, Justin began coaching
at his high-school alma mater, Middletown High while also handling
duties with a women's masters program. During the spring of
2008, he helped Wesleyan with a men's four but now will assume a
larger role within the Cardinals' program. Justin also has
experience coaching in the Middletown Park and Recreation program.