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Orange Staff Named Finalist for IRCA Coaching Staff of the Year
6/23/2026 3:51:00 PM | Men's Rowing
Head coach Dave Reischman, in his 24th season leading the Orange program, is joined on the finalist staff by associate head coach Connor Walters, assistant coach Kevin Hinkle and assistant coach Graham Hall. Syracuse is one of three finalists alongside Drexel University and Washington University, which claimed the team championship and Varsity 8 title at the 2026 IRA Championship earlier this month.
The Orange capped a strong 2026 campaign with all four boats finishing in the top 10 at the IRA National Championship Regatta in Gold River, California. Walters guided the Second Varsity 8 to a fourth-place finish in the grand final — the best result in program history for that boat — while Reischman's Varsity 8 crew placed 10th, Hinkle led the Third Varsity Eight to a 10th-place finish and Hall's Varsity 4 crew rounded out the top-10 sweep with an eighth-place finish.
Syracuse's success extended well beyond the national championship. The Orange retained the Goes Trophy — awarded to the top finisher in the Varsity 8 race against Cornell and Navy — and captured the Stagg Trophy, which recognizes the top overall points total across all events in that dual meet series.
Walters also led the 2V8 to a bronze medal at the 2026 EARC Eastern Sprints, adding to a résumé that made the Syracuse staff among the most decorated in the country this spring.
The IRCA Coaching Staff of the Year award recognizes excellence in coaching, athlete development and program building across the collegiate rowing landscape.
