Crew Coaches Bring Steady Hands

Thirty-two years ago, the world was a different place. Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev were navigating two superpowers toward a peaceful resolution of the Cold War, Michael Jordan was named the 1985 NBA’s Rookie of the Year, and Microsoft was introducing its first version of Windows. Even the Harvard campus looked distinct from its 2017 state, with the merger with Radcliffe College still nearly a decade and a half away. Yet, in the stretch of Cambridge, Mass., running along the Charles River, one thing was very much the same as it is now: Charley Butt and Liz O’Leary were coaching crew.

Charley Butt began his coaching career after a decorated career as an oarsman. Three years before graduating from Rutgers University, Butt represented the United States at the 1980 World Rowing Championships as a member of the lightweight eight. Two years later, he was hired to coach men’s lightweight crew at Harvard, and his ascent to program icon began.

Butt’s tenure as the Crimson’s lightweight coach has been full of accomplishments, to say the least. Of his 28 seasons in charge, Butt has posted winning dual records in 25. During that time, Harvard won 15 Eastern Sprint crowns and nine national championships. Butt also led the Crimson to its first Head of the Charles victory in nearly four decades—the lightweight team’s 2012 victory.

The loss of the legendary coach Harry Parker, who led the Harvard heavyweight crew team for 51 years, left behind an immense gap in the Crimson program. Given his proven success with the lightweight team, the Athletic Department gave Butt the reins to the heavyweight program in 2013, making Butt just the ninth man in Harvard history to hold the position.

Since Butt took over the heavyweight program, the results have been much the same: continued proven success. With Butt at the helm, the Crimson posted an undefeated record in 2014, followed by a 6-2 record the next year and an impressive 7-1 showing last season.

And yet, the record books only tell half the story. Each successful team has been composed of athletes who have benefited from Butt’s instruction at an individual level, as well.

“Charley has taught me so much about what it takes to move a boat effectively,” captain Conor Harrity said. “I’ve been able to experience a lot of individualized coaching in small boats (singles and pairs) and it has been incredibly helpful.”

Adding to Butt’s wealth of experience is the extension of his leadership well beyond Harvard. The list of Olympians who have trained under the coach is quite lengthy, and is only growing. With four go-arounds under his belt, Butt remains one of the coaches for the United States Olympic team.

For collegiate and Olympic athletes alike, Butt has driven countless oarsmen to maximize their potential.

“He.... has really helped me understand proper training and has provided all of us with great resources to get the most out of our training,” Harrity said.

In light of Butt’s 33 accomplished seasons, the possibility of seeing a parallel legacy at the same school, in the same sport seems almost beyond belief. And yet, Liz O’Leary stands to disprove the improbable with 32 successful seasons of her own.

Like Butt, O’Leary entered the coaching profession in the wake of a strong rowing career of her own. A member of the 1976 and 1980 Olympic teams as well a medal winner at three of six appearances with the United States team at the World Championships, O’Leary was hardly new to the water when she took a job at the University of New Hampshire. She went on to create a lasting impact at UNH, becoming a member of the school’s Hall of Fame in 1994. O’Leary’s final stop before coming to Harvard in 1986 was in North Andover, Mass., where she steered the women’s crew team at Brooks School.

O’Leary’s time as the Harvard-Radcliffe heavyweight crew coach has truly been program-defining. Under her leadership, the Black and White has made 17 appearances in NCAA Championships. In 2003, Radcliffe took first place and earned the title of national champions. Two years later, O’Leary’s team won bronze. Over her last 16 seasons, the Black and White has posted winning records in all but three.

O’Leary’s coaching experience also stretches beyond Harvard. Over a dozen alumni of the Harvard-Radcliffe program during her tenure as head coach have rowed at either the U.S. World Championships or the Olympics. Also in common with Butt, O’Leary’s bears the experience of coaching at both the Olympics (1988) and at World Championships.

“Liz O'Leary has helped me realize my own potential as an athlete [by] developing intense mental fortitude, athletic strength and endurance, and technical prowess, all while fostering a collaborative team-environment,” senior rower Kathleen Malloch said.

While O’Leary’s coaching accomplishments alone are enough to warrant applause, for her rowers, it’s what happens beyond the water that really counts.

“She drives the helm of our collective ship, guiding us not just through practice, but through college,” Malloch said. “Her knowledge about the sport and expertise in the field are unparalleled and have dramatically improved my skills, confidence, and passion in the sport.”

“When I enter Weld Boathouse, there are endless framed pictures of Liz O's past crews, and I realize that she has been the same life mentor to each of these women as she is to me,” co-captain Sofia Donnecke added. “Her kind strength fills Weld boathouse and has made it all of our home away from home.”

In an age in which consistency and stability are often difficult to come by, Charley Butt and Liz O’Leary embody both.

—Staff writer Meg Leatherwood can be reached at margaret.leatherwood@thecrimson.com.