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Leonardi Joins Orange as Men's Rowing Assistant Coach
9/3/2026 11:34:00 AM | Men's Rowing
Syracuse University Men's Rowing has announced the addition of Henry Leonardi to its coaching staff as an assistant coach, effective September 1, 2026.
"I first met Henry when we were doing a coaching search a few years back and I thought at the time that he was someone to keep an eye on for future positions," Syracuse Head Coach Dave Reischman said. "He has impacted the culture and team speed at his previous stops with his strong work ethic and creative thinking. We are very excited to have him join our program and very much looking forward to his contributions."
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Leonardi joins Syracuse after two seasons at Old Dominion University, where he served as an Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for the women's rowing program.
"It is a privilege to join one of the most storied programs in the country," Leonardi said. "Momentum in recent years indicates the coaching staff has devised a blueprint for success that has been backed up by the athletes from the top down. As well as things have been going, another gear can always be reached, and I am eager to play a role in unlocking it."
During his tenure with the Monarchs, he helped guide the 2V8+ to a fourth-place finish at the 2026 Big 12 Championship — the program's best conference finish for an eight since 2012 — and led the 1V4+ to an identical fourth-place result in 2025, matching that program milestone.
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Under his direction, the 1V4+ and 2V4+ combined for a 7-3 dual season record in 2025. On the recruiting side, Leonardi brought in 11 high school athletes in 2026, more than double the previous three seasons combined and the program's best recruiting haul since 2022.
Before his time at Old Dominion, Leonardi spent five years (2019–2024) as an Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for Bucknell University's men's program. There, he helped build the roster to a program-record 50 athletes, a 45% increase in size since 2019, while recruiting at least 12 high school athletes every year — capped by a program-best 17 commits in 2023.
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His coaching helped transform the bottom half of Bucknell's depth chart into a nationally competitive group, contributing to the program's best-ever finishes (sixth place) at the 2022, 2023, and 2024 ACRA National Championships, along with gold medals for the 3V8+ at the 2022 and 2024 ACRA Nationals. Leonardi was named the 2024 ACRA National Assistant Coach of the Year.
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Leonardi is a 2018 graduate of Bucknell University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and served as a coxswain for the men's rowing team. He also completed the Tuck Business Bridge Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in the summer of 2018.
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For more on the Orange, follow @CuseMRowing on social media.
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"I first met Henry when we were doing a coaching search a few years back and I thought at the time that he was someone to keep an eye on for future positions," Syracuse Head Coach Dave Reischman said. "He has impacted the culture and team speed at his previous stops with his strong work ethic and creative thinking. We are very excited to have him join our program and very much looking forward to his contributions."
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Leonardi joins Syracuse after two seasons at Old Dominion University, where he served as an Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for the women's rowing program.
"It is a privilege to join one of the most storied programs in the country," Leonardi said. "Momentum in recent years indicates the coaching staff has devised a blueprint for success that has been backed up by the athletes from the top down. As well as things have been going, another gear can always be reached, and I am eager to play a role in unlocking it."
During his tenure with the Monarchs, he helped guide the 2V8+ to a fourth-place finish at the 2026 Big 12 Championship — the program's best conference finish for an eight since 2012 — and led the 1V4+ to an identical fourth-place result in 2025, matching that program milestone.
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Under his direction, the 1V4+ and 2V4+ combined for a 7-3 dual season record in 2025. On the recruiting side, Leonardi brought in 11 high school athletes in 2026, more than double the previous three seasons combined and the program's best recruiting haul since 2022.
Before his time at Old Dominion, Leonardi spent five years (2019–2024) as an Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for Bucknell University's men's program. There, he helped build the roster to a program-record 50 athletes, a 45% increase in size since 2019, while recruiting at least 12 high school athletes every year — capped by a program-best 17 commits in 2023.
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His coaching helped transform the bottom half of Bucknell's depth chart into a nationally competitive group, contributing to the program's best-ever finishes (sixth place) at the 2022, 2023, and 2024 ACRA National Championships, along with gold medals for the 3V8+ at the 2022 and 2024 ACRA Nationals. Leonardi was named the 2024 ACRA National Assistant Coach of the Year.
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Leonardi is a 2018 graduate of Bucknell University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and served as a coxswain for the men's rowing team. He also completed the Tuck Business Bridge Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in the summer of 2018.
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For more on the Orange, follow @CuseMRowing on social media.
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