Craig Amerkhanian
Encyclopedia
Craig Amerkhanian is a Pac-10 champion oarsman and rowing coach at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...

. Amerkhanian also has placed numerous athletes on National, Olympic and "Boat Race" (Oxford/Cambridge) teams. He was an all PAC 10 oarsman at Cal and graduated in 1980 with a degree in History. He received his master's degree in education in 1993.

Rowing Success

After rowing for two years at Orange Coast College
Orange Coast College
Orange Coast College is a community college in Orange County, California. It was founded in 1947, with its first classes opening in the fall of 1948. It provides two-year associate of art and science degrees, certificates of achievement, and lower-division classes transferable to other colleges...

, Amerkhanian raced in the Cal varsity eight in 1979 and '80. The '79 team won the Pac-10 championship well as the Opening Day Regatta on the Montlake Cut. The crew traveled to Henley
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...

 (Cal's first trip since the '48 Olympic crew) and raced in the Grand Challenge Cup. In 1980 the crew was undefeated again throughout the dual racing season.

Early career

In the fall of 1980, Amerkhanian began a five-year stint with the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....

 Baseball Co., working with Roy Eisenhardt ('80 Cal frosh coach and A's president). He then worked in the mortgage industry while earning his master's degree in education. Amerkhanian has taught social studies and English in the Oakland and San Ramon school districts.

At Cal

Amerkhanian's coaching career began at University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...

 in 1992 when he became the coach of the freshman team, working under his former coach at Cal, Steve Gladstone
Steve Gladstone
Stephen C. Gladstone, or Steve Gladstone as he is better known, is one of the premier rowing coaches in the United States. He currently coaches at Yale University...

. The classes of athletes that Amerkhanian recruited during the mid- to late-'90s began a rowing dynasty at Cal. Amerkhanian-coached crews had great success at the IRA national championship regatta, winning gold in '98 and 2000, silver in '99 and '96, and a fourth-place finish in 1997. His freshman crews also won Pac-10 titles in 1994, '95, '96, '98, '99, and 2000.

At Stanford University

After his victorious season with the Cal frosh in 2000, Amerkhanian accepted an offer to become the Director of Stanford's
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...

 Rowing Program. Amerkhanian takes the lion's share of credit for building a successful rowing program at the University. By 2005, the team included two athletes who had rowed in the 2004 Athens Olympics and another who would go on to compete in Beijing in 2008. Coach Amerkhanian was named Pac-10 coach of the year in both 2006 and 2010. Stanford's team under Amerkhanian's leadership has won national titles at the IRA
Intercollegiate Rowing Association
The Intercollegiate Rowing Association runs the IRA Championship Regatta, which is considered to be the United States collegiate national championship of rowing. Since 1995, it has been held on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and includes both men's and women's events for sweep boats...

 championship regatta in the freshman 4+, varsity 4+, and 2- events, earned silver (2008) and bronze (2009) in the varsity 8+ event, and won the Copley Cup at the San Diego Crew Classic in 2006 and 2007.

Past Athletes

Amerkhanian has coached many Olympic athletes, including:
  • Adam Kreek
    Adam Kreek
    Adam Kreek is a Canadian rower. Born in London, Ontario, he was a student at the University of Victoria where he met his wife Rebecca. He won the gold medal at both the 2003 and 2002 world championships for Canada's men's eight team in Milan, Italy and Seville, Spain respectively...

  • Jamie Schroeder
    Jamie Schroeder
    James Lee Schroeder Jr is an American rower, and a victorious Oxford Blue. He is married to fellow Stanford alum, Kelsey Twist...

  • David Banks
  • Jake Wetzel
    Jake Wetzel
    Jacob Wetzel is a Canadian rower. He has represented both Canada and the United States at the World Championships and the Olympics. He was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.- College years :...

  • Scott Frandsen
    Scott Frandsen
    Scott Frandsen is a Canadian rower of Swedish and Danish descent.-Biography:Born in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, he began rowing at age 16 at Brentwood College , in British Columbia, Canada.He rowed for four years at the University of California, Berkeley...

  • Nito Simonsen
  • Luke Walton

External links

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