Bill Sanford To Be Inducted Into Syracuse Rowing Hall of Fame
10/31/2011 10:52:00 AM | Men's Rowing
SYRACUSE, N.Y.  – Syracuse University coaching legend Bill Sanford '63 will be enshrined in the Syracuse Rowing Hall of Fame on Saturday, Nov. 5. The head coach of the Orange men's rowing team for 34 years, Sanford led multiple crews to Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) championships, including the 1978 Orange varsity eight.
A brief induction ceremony will be held at the James Ten Eyck Boathouse following the 2011 Syracuse Invitational Regatta, which begins Saturday morning at 10 a.m. A more formal celebration of Sanford's achievements is scheduled for 5 p.m. that night at the Syracuse Ramada on Buckley Road.
The leader of the Orange from 1968-2002, Sanford's watershed coaching moment occurred in 1978 when the SU varsity eight captured the national championship by winning the prestigious IRA Regatta. His other successes included leading the SU freshman eight to three straight IRA championships from 1976-78 and guiding the SU varsity four to an IRA victory in 1981. Sanford also developed five Olympic rowers during his coaching tenure.
Sanford's rowing career began as a student-athlete at Syracuse University in 1960. A member of the freshman squad his first year, Sanford rowed with the varsity crew for the next three years and was elected captain as a senior.
Sanford received his bachelor's degree in liberal arts from SU in 1963 and took charge of the Orange freshman crew that fall. In 1968, Sanford was promoted to varsity head coach, a position he held for 34 years until he retired in 2002 to pursue a career in the New York State Assembly.
Cost to attend the banquet is $55 ($45 for SU Classes 2006-2011). All checks should be made payable to the Syracuse Alumni Rowing Association (SARA).
For more information on the event or to buy tickets online, visit www.syracusealumnirowing.blogspot.com
