.png)
Men's Rowing Coaches Named IRCA Division I Staff of the Year
6/26/2026 12:36:00 PM | Men's Rowing
The Syracuse University men's rowing coaching staff has been named the Intercollegiate Rowing Coaches Association Division I Coaching Staff of the Year, the organization announced Friday. Associate Head Coach Connor Walters and assistants Kevin Hinkle and Graham Hall earned the honor, which is voted on by the IRCA membership and recognizes outstanding work by assistant coaches, volunteer coaches, boatmen and other staff in service to their program and in support of the head coach.
"Connor, Kevin and Graham have been absolutely essential to the recruitment and development of our student athletes during their time at Syracuse," Head Coach Dave Reischman said. "This has resulted in a much deeper program and some outstanding results in our lower boats over the past two years. All three eights and our four made the grand finals at last year's IRA. This year 2V8, 3V8 and 4V8 made the grand final at [Eastern] Sprints and our 2V8 made the grand final at the IRA and finished fourth. All our boats were to-10 at the IRA. This is a direct results of the leadership provided by these three coaches."Â
The recognition caps a standout 2026 spring season for the Orange, who placed all four boats in the top semifinals at the IRA National Championship Regatta in Sacramento, Calif. The second varsity eight delivered the program's best finish in the boat class in over two decades, earning a fourth-place result in the grand final. The varsity eight, third varsity eight and coxed four each advanced to their respective AB finals as well, capping a season in which Syracuse placed ninth in the Ten Eyck Trophy standings with all four boats earning a top-10 spot for the second-straight year.Â
The Orange retained the Goes Trophy and won the Stagg Trophy (team points) over Cornell and Navy again this spring while Walters guided the 2V8 to an undefeated regular season earning wins over Cal, Brown and Yale.Â
Syracuse showed it's depth at the EARC Eastern Sprints where the 2V8 earned a bronze medal while the 3V8, coached by Hinkle, placed 4th and the 4V8, led by Hall, earned 5th.
Fourteen student-athletes were named Empacher-IRCA Scholar Athletes while four Orange oarsmen were named Empacher-IRCA All-Americans, including first-team honoree Benjamin Campbell-Reide, second-team honorees Mack Carr and Nick Bryan and honorable mention Niki Strauss.Â
"Their commitment to the development of our athletes off the water as students and young men and women has also been impactful," Reischman said. "They are greatly appreciated by the athletes on our team and certainly make my job as the head coach a lot easier."
Staff of the Year nominations are submitted by a program's own head coach or another head coach in their league before being voted on by the full IRCA membership. The award honors the collective contributions of the coaching staff beyond what shows up in results — development of individual athletes, program culture and day-to-day investment in the program.
The University of Washington men's rowing staff also earned Division I Coaching Staff of the Year recognition. Head coach Michael Callahan's staff guided the Huskies through an undefeated regular season and to the MPSF Championship title before Washington entered the IRA National Championship ranked No. 1 in the nation.
For more on Syracuse men's rowing, follow @CuseMRowing on social media.
