BUFFALO, NY – The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame introduced its 12-member class of 2017 on Thursday June 1. The event took place in Key Bank Center atrium where the Hall of Fame’s exhibit and trophy are on display. This event will mark the 27th class to be inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1991, bringing the total of inductees to 315.

This year’s class will officially be inducted on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at the annual GBSHOF dinner in the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.

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CHARLES DANIELS

When Charles Meldrum Daniels moved to Buffalo in 1909 from New York City, he brought with him worldwide notoriety as a championship swimmer.
In the 1904 Olympic Games, Daniels swam his way to gold medals in the 220 yard freestyle, the 440 yard freestyle and the 4×50 yard freestyle relay. He also captured the silver medal in the 100 yard freestyle, and a bronze medal in the 50 yard freestyle.

At the 1908 Olympic Games in London, Daniels won the gold medal in the 100 meter freestyle, and the bronze medal in the 4×200 meter freestyle.

Daniels also won gold in the 100 meter freestyle at the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens, Greece. This competition is also known as the 1906 Summer Olympics, however medals won are not officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

A world-wide phenomenon, Daniels set 14 world records during a four-day period in 1905, and at that time he held every world freestyle record from 25 yards to one mile. He also set seven world records of various distances between 1907 and 1911 in three countries.

From 1904 until he retired in 1911, he won Amateur Athletic Union Championships 31 times and was generally considered to be the world’s greatest swimmer.

Daniels is credited with inventing the American Crawl by introducing a modification of the Australian Crawl to use the whole leg and six kicks for every two-arm cycle. His new style became the predominant form for freestyle swimming.

Daniels was widely recognized for his excellence in the pool. He was named North American Athlete of the Year for 1909 by the Helms Hall Athletic Board and has been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame (1965), the Metropolitan Swimming Hall of Fame (2000) and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame (1988).

In addition to his swimming prowess, Daniels was a squash and bridge champion at the New York Athletic Club and after retirement was a top ranked amateur golfer.

Daniels lived in Buffalo until 1953, passed away in Carmel, CA in 1973, and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery.

DANNY DILIBERTO

Born and raised in Buffalo New York, and a graduate of Canisius High School, Danny DiLiberto’s athletic career has spanned an incredible four decades and two sports.
DiLiberto started his athletic career as a professional boxer. Trained by Angelo Dundee, the famed trainer of Muhammed Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, he was undefeated as a Lightweight with a record of 14–0–2 with twelve knockouts, however he was forced into retirement after breaking his hands four times.

After his successful boxing career ended, DiLiberto made the switch to billiards and over four decades became one of the sport’s most decorated athletes. He began his dominating run in the 1960’s with early wins in the Straight Pool Buffalo City Championship and Straight Pool New York State Championship. Following wins at the local and state level, DiLiberto announced his arrival on the national stage with wins at the U.S. Masters Straight Pool Tournament in 1963 and again in 1969.
In 1972 DiLiberto cemented his legacy in Johnson City, Illinois when he claimed victory at the Tournament of Champions and was also crowned the World All Around Champion. His continued success drew the attention of Sports Illustrated, which made him the subject of a lengthy profile in their magazine in 1977.

In the 1980’s, DiLiberto’s relentless pursuit of excellence led him to claim five separate championships in various billiard disciplines – The Billiard Congress of America National Eight Ball Tournament (1981); the World One Pocket Tournament Championship (1983); the Classic Cup Nine Ball Tournament (1984), the Eastern States Straight Pool Tournament (1985) and the Western States Nine Ball Tournament Championship (1989).

However, he wasn’t done. In the 1990’s, DiLiberto found international success winning the 1997 French Open Nine Ball Tournament and the 1998 French National Nine Ball Tournament. All-told, during his incredible career, DiLiberto won world titles in all four of pool’s major disciplines.

Not content with his athletic achievements, DiLiberto authored a book in 2004 entitled You Bet Your Life about his life as a pool player. In 2006 he was the subject of another book titled Road Player: The Danny DiLiberto Story. Ever the over-achiever, Danny managed to become an accomplished bowler in his spare time with a 300 game to his credit. To this day, DiLiberto travels the country as a popular play-by-play commentator for Accu-Stats Video Production, a live-broadcast billiards company.

For his accomplishments, DiLiberto is a member of the Billiards Congress of America Hall of Fame, the One Pocket Hall of Fame, the Straight Pool Hall of Fame and the Ring 44 Buffalo Boxing Hall of Fame.

SANDY HOLLANDER

Sandy Hollander established a national reputation as Buffalo State’s softball coach from 1989 until her passing in 2012. The Bengals enjoyed great success during Hollander’s tenure. She ranks in the Top-35 among all-time NCAA Division III softball coaches in victories with an overall record of 562-342-2 (a .621 winning percentage), while claiming three SUNYAC titles and making eight trips to the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Hollander was hired at the college as an assistant athletic trainer in 1985 and was later promoted to head athletic trainer, a position she held until 2007. In so doing, she was believed to be the first female athletic trainer in the nation for a college football team. Sandy was promoted to Assistant Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator in 2009. Hollander also spent time as the athletic department’s equipment manager, assistant softball and assistant soccer coach.
In January 2006, Hollander was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and underwent an extensive treatment program. In that season, Hollander was in the Bengals’ dugout for all 42 games and led the team to a 30-12 record and a third-place showing at the SUNYAC Championships.

In January 2007, Hollander discovered that the cancer had spread to her lungs. Undergoing treatment, again, Hollander did not miss a single game, leading her Bengals to a 27-11 mark and their sixth-consecutive SUNYAC playoff appearance, where they placed third. In 2008, Hollander was unable to travel to Florida with her team, as she recovered from surgery, but returned to the dugout when the Bengals opened regular season play. She was her same fiery self, leading her team to a 28-15 record and an appearance in the SUNYAC Championship game.

She continued to fight cancer for the next four years, but remained committed to mentoring the young women on the softball team. In 2009, she led the Bengals to a school record 34 wins and the program’s fourth SUNYAC Championship. Buffalo State advanced to the championship game in the NCAA regional, falling one win shy of advancing to its first College World Series. Hollander again led the Bengals to an appearance in the 2011 SUNYAC title game.

In all, she collected 17 20-win seasons, and four 30-win campaigns. She received SUNYAC Coach of the Year honors four times (1990, 1996, 2008 and 2009) and guided her team to the first of three SUNYAC Championships in 1996. The Bengals claimed their second conference title under Hollander in 2000 and added the third in 2009. In 2009, she was selected the ECAC Upstate Coach of the Year. In 1992 and 1993, she led the program to consecutive New York State championships and was chosen New York State and Regional Coach of the Year by the Softball Coaches Association. In 1991, Hollander’s Bengals ranked as high as ninth in the nation.

Hollander, a 1981 graduate of Indiana University, mentored six All-Americans, more than 50 All-Region performers, and 83 players who gained All-SUNYAC recognition. Among more than 50 players gaining All-ECAC status were three players who were also named ECAC Player of the Year.

Hollander was inducted into the Western New York Softball Hall of Fame in 2005. She was also enshrined in the Kenmore West Senior High School Hall of Fame in 2011 and was a 2008 recipient of the SUNYAC Award of Valor.

WILLIE “HUTCH” JONES

The basketball and community outreach career of Willie “Hutch” Jones is an interesting one to say the least. While playing for Bishop Turner High School in the mid-70’s, Willie was never selected to the all-Western New York first team. Upon graduation, he continued his, then, modest hoops career at Buffalo State where he averaged 7.1 points and 6.9 rebounds, as a freshman. He then transferred to Vanderbilt, where his basketball legend began to grow.

While at Vanderbilt, competing in the ultra-competitive Southeastern Conference, Jones became a star. In an 82 game career, he averaged in double figures producing 11.5 points per game while collecting 5.5 caroms per contest. As a senior, Willie earned the team’s respect and was selected captain. He responded by making 58.7% of his field goal attempts, while leading the Commodores in scoring at 15.8 points per game. He also paced the team in rebounds with 6.4 per game, and was named first-team all-Southeastern Conference for his efforts.

Willie served notice to the NBA that final season when he netted 37 points against Alabama – the 10th highest scoring game in Vanderbilt history – and 32 versus Florida. He currently ranks second in Commodore history in shooting percentage.
After receiving his degree in Health and Physical Education, Jones was selected in the third round of the 1982 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He would never play for the Lakers, but would see short stints with the San Diego Clippers – which was ironic with that team’s connection to Willie’s home town – in 1982 and 1983. Jones enjoyed a successful professional career in the CBA and in Europe before retiring from competitive basketball in 1989.

However, his life’s work was just beginning. Employed by the Buffalo Board of Education, Jones started the Willie “Hutch” Jones Educational and Sports program in his hometown, where the “mission is to provide underserved children, at no charge, equal opportunities to engage in the highest quality programs and to offer character-building activities through academics, sports and the arts.” The initiative has served more than 10,000 children in 33 years. It features free after-school and summer programming and serves children from the ages of 5-16. It began as a sports program and has now grown to include a significant number of educational options, as well.

For his efforts, Willie received the Father Baker Award in 2006 and he has been awarded the “Keys to the City” by Buffalo mayor, Byron Brown. In addition, he has been awarded the Black Achievers in Industry Award, Westside Rowing Club Community Services Award, Buffalo Masters Outstanding Contributor Award, the National Federation for Just Communities of Western New York Award and been inducted into the Buffalo Inner City Athletic Educational Association Hall of Fame.

MIKE KEISER

Golf course developer Mike Keiser has been named by several golf publications as one of the most powerful and influential people in the game of golf. Born and raised in East Aurora, Mike played soccer and tennis at Nichols School and played golf at Amherst College.

Mike’s passion is to build great golf courses, which are accessible to every golfer (“the retail golfer”). Bill Coore, golf architect and partner of Ben Crenshaw, has called Mike “the patron saint of public golf.” Ben Crenshaw has written that, “Mike is a very fierce advocate for golf. I can sort of call him an American individualist. He is an explorer, scouts the world for golf land that is inspired from the British Isles, sandy land by the seashore is a great part of his passion. He simply wants people to enjoy golf in varied settings…has identified the explorer type of golfer…he builds golf for everyone.”

Mike has built 14 golf courses and is currently working on 10 more. Golfweek Magazine lists six of Mike’s courses in the top 61 modern day courses in the United States: The Dunes Club (New Buffalo, Michigan), Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Old MacDonald, Bandon Trails (all four in Bandon, Oregon and all four rated in the top 15 public courses in America) and Sand Valley (Rome, Wisconsin). Golf Magazine and Golf Digest list six of Mike’s courses in the top 100 courses in the world: Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Barnbougle Dunes, Barnbougle Lost Farm (both in Bridport, Tasmania) and Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs (both in Inverness, Nova Scotia and both rated in the top five public courses in Canada). Of the best 25 courses in the United States, only Pebble Beach and Pacific Dunes are public courses.

The Bandon Dunes Golf Resort has hosted numerous USGA and amateur championships including the 2006 Curtis Cup, the 2007 USGA Mid-Amateur, and the 2011 U.S. Public Links (men’s and women’s) and will be hosting the 2020 Men’s U.S. Amateur Championship.

Mike’s philanthropy includes establishing the Judgy Lytle Scholarship for scholar athletes at Nichols School in memory of a close friend and teammate who died in a car accident. Since 1983 when the scholarship was established, 58 Lytle Scholars have graduated from Nichols School.

Mike has been a significant benefactor of the Evans Scholars Foundation, which supports high school age caddies learning about golf and life during the summer months. Many of these young caddies attain college scholarships as a result of their caddying. Mike has been inducted into the Western Golf Association Caddy Hall of Fame for his contribution in promoting caddies and their role in the game of golf.

Mike was the first inductee into the Legacy of the Links Top 100 Hall of Fame, which was established in 2013 “to honor those visionaries whose courage and imagination have brought great golf courses into existence.” In the tribute to Mike it was said “His absolute appreciation of classic architecture and consistent idealism especially for preserving the soul of the game has earned Mike Keiser the lasting legacy of being the first inductee to the Top 100 Hall of Fame.”

E.J. MCGUIRE

E.J. McGuire was born in the Old First Ward in Buffalo, attended Canisius High School and then played hockey for the Brockport State Golden Eagles, where he was named captain his senior year. He started his hockey at Caz Rink and played travel hockey for the Regals.

He became head coach of the Brockport hockey team in 1977 and led the Golden Eagles for five seasons. In 2009, E.J. was the first ice hockey player/coach to be inducted into the Golden Eagles Hall of Fame.

While at Brockport, he met Mike Keenan and formed a lifelong friendship. After concluding his Brockport hockey stint, E.J. assisted Keenan in winning the Calder Cup for the Rochester Americans (AHL). The coaching tandem worked together for 11 years in the NHL with Philadelphia, Chicago and Ottawa winning five divisional titles and twice going to the Stanley Cup finals. An innovator during his coaching tenure he was instrumental in using video for education and motivational techniques and developing extensive statistics for analyzing line match-ups in its earliest form of coaching strategy.

E.J. also coached at the University of Waterloo, where he attained his Doctorate in Kinesiology/Sport Psychology. Coaching stops also included stints at Guelph (Major Junior OHL) and in the AHL for three seasons with Hartford and Maine.
In 2005, E.J. was hired to work in NHL Central Scouting and over the next six years he became Vice President of Hockey Operations, where he revolutionized NHL scouting. He created the NHL scouting combine borrowing the format from the NFL, and was one of the executives that developed the “war room” in Toronto, that review plays in real time.

E.J. was the Head of Central Scouting in North America and an architect of many of the innovations of hockey scouting; his efforts provided NHL clubs with the most comprehensive list of NHL draft eligible prospects.
At his passing at the age of 58, NHL executives honored his memory by creating the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence. “Excellence is what E.J. personified”, Central Scouting’s David Gregory said. “It was imperative that the winner of this award named after E.J. have strength of character and competitiveness because these traits exemplify what E.J. brought to the hockey community every day.”

E.J. passed away from cancer in 2011 and is survived by his wife Terry, and two daughters Jacqueline and Erin. When you asked him what E.J. stood for, in his Irish wit, he would always say, “Edward John, but my parents saved me the trouble of trying to spell that.”

CHARLIE O’BRIEN

A pioneer coach, who is best known as the father of WNY volleyball, Charlie O’Brien is synonymous with the sport in the Buffalo area.

Charlie was a three-sport star from 1946-50 at Sloan High School where he participated in football, basketball and track and field. His prowess as an athlete earned him a scholarship to the University at Buffalo, where he started for two seasons on the football team and lettered in track and field from 1952-54. Upon graduation, he held school records at U/B in the javelin and discus throws. He was also the first U/B football player to receive a contract offer to play in the National Football League (Green Bay Packers).

Instead of pursuing career in the NFL, Charlie took a teaching position at Cleveland Hill High School, where he would be named athletic director three years later. He also picked up coaching assignments in a variety of sports, while being named Chairman of the Erie County Interscholastic Conference Athletic Directors Committee, a position he held for 28 years. In that position, he was able to, first, have volleyball adopted as an extramural demonstration sport, and, second, was successful in having the sport receive full accreditation in the ECIC in 1964.

From 1960-77, Charlie built and grew a championship program at Cleveland Hill. Not much more than a recreational sport when Charlie got involved, volleyball would flourish under his tutelage. During his time as head coach, Cleveland Hill went an astounding 225-15 (a .938 winning percentage) and won 14 consecutive league championships and 11 sectional titles. His team never lost a home game and, at one point, ran off 119 straight wins. That streak was so prestigious that it placed Charlie in the Faces in the Crowd section in a February 1974 edition of Sports Illustrated.

His career as a volleyball coach is unmatched in Western New York. He was the first inductee into the WNY Boys Volleyball Hall of Fame (2010) and the Cleveland Hill High School Hall of Fame (1990). The WNY Volleyball Officials Association “Coach of the Year” award bears his name.

Because of Charlie’s passion for the sport of volleyball, Western New York has become a hotbed of talent for collegiate recruiters. Many of the area’s top players have gone onto national recognition, while several have earned spots in the United States Olympic development program.

DANNY OZARK

Danny Ozark (Orzechowski) was born and raised in Cheektowaga, NY. After an outstanding athletic career in high school, he signed a professional baseball contract in 1942 with the Brooklyn Dodgers Class D team in Olean. He was drafted into the Army and served for three years in Europe where he participated in the D-Day Invasion, the Battle of the Bulge and received a Purple Heart for his bravery. Upon returning from military service, he played in the Dodgers’ minor league system for 15 years. He became a player-manager in 1956 and retired as a player in 1961. Ozark never received a call from the big league club, even though he batted .300 in both AA and AAA and was among the league leaders in home runs every season.
Ozark honed his trade under the tutelage of Hall of Fame manager Walter Alston, while serving for eight years as a coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1973, Ozark was hired to manage the last-place Philadelphia Phillies. Showing steady improvement for three years, Ozark’s Phillies broke through in 1976 with a club-record 101 wins, to capture the first of three consecutive National League East Division Championships (1976-78.)

In 1976, Ozark was selected as Major League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News, and also earned the Associated Press National League Manager of the Year award. Ozark’s career managerial record with the Phillies was a solid 594-510 (a win percentage of .538).

Upon being replaced as manager in 1979, the Phillies’ chairman, Bill Giles, said of Ozark, “His patience with some of the Phillies’ young players from 1973-75, particularly with Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton (Baseball Hall of Fame third baseman and pitcher, respectively), really paid off as the Phillies got to the postseason three times and eventually won the World Series in 1980 after he left.”

After leaving the Phillies in 1979, he became assistant coach under Tommy LaSorda and helped the Dodgers win the 1981 World Series over the Yankees. He joined Frank Robinson’s staff in San Francisco as a coach in 1983, and when Robinson was fired during the following season, Ozark served briefly as interim manager before wrapping up his career as a Giants scout. Counting his Giants tenure, Ozark compiled a lifetime record of 618 wins and 542 losses (.533).
Ozark was selected to the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. He died at the age of 85 in Vero Beach, FL.

VAUGHN PARKER

A native of Buffalo, NY, Vaughn Parker became a standout on the gridiron while playing at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute. For the Marauders, Parker was 1st team All-Catholic in both his junior and senior years. In addition, in his senior year he was named first team All-Western New York, first team All-New York State, and he was an Honorable Mention All-American.

Following high school, Parker went west to play at UCLA and made an almost immediate impact on the offensive line for the Bruins. He was named to the All-PAC Ten Conference Team in his sophomore, junior and senior years, and was a third team All-American in his senior year.

In the 1994 NFL draft, Parker was selected in the second round (63rd overall) by the San Diego Chargers. He started six games in his rookie campaign, and appeared in Super Bowl XXIX with the Bolts. By his second season, Parker had secured a starting offensive tackle spot with the Chargers. He anchored that spot on the line for the remainder of his 10 seasons with San Diego before suffering a season ending knee injury in 2003. He played one final game with the Washington Redskins before retiring in 2004. In his NFL career, Parker played in a total of 122 games, starting in 107 of those contests.

Parker has been recognized for his excellence on the field of play. He was inducted into the St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006 and was named to the All-Time UCLA Football Team.

MICHAEL PECA

Michael Peca was born March 26, 1974 in Toronto, Canada. Throughout his career, he was known for his leadership, toughness, and tenacity, along with an unending willingness to use his body.
Mike began playing junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League after they selected him in the 1st round of the 1990 player draft. After two years in Sudbury, Mike was traded to the Ottawa 67’s and promptly put up 113 points in only 55 games.

In the 1992 NHL entry draft, Mike was selected 40th overall by the Vancouver Canucks.

In 1994 Peca played a significant role for Canada’s Gold Medal winning World Junior team, and he returned to the NHL, playing in 38 games at the end of the 1994 -95 season.

Vancouver team officials were determined to fill a glaring weakness on defense and they also had their eye on Buffalo’s Alexander Mogilny. At the start of the 1995-96 season, the trade was consummated and Michael Peca became a Buffalo Sabre. It did not take long for the Sabres to find out how great a player the center from Toronto was going to be.

Peca brought a hardworking, never give up attitude; a team leader who excelled at defensive play and had a knack for scoring shorthanded goals. It is a testament to his outstanding overall play as a defensive forward in that Peca won the Frank J. Selke trophy in 1997, when he tallied 20 goals and added 29 assists. He would go on to win that award again in 2002 while playing for the New York Islanders.

In 1998, Peca was selected captain, acquiring the nickname, “Captain Crunch”, for delivering bone crunching open ice hits. He served in that role during Buffalo’s run to the Stanley Cup finals in 1999. Peca retired in 2010, as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

During his five years in Buffalo, he netted 96 goals while offering 121 assists. The Sabres made the playoffs his final four years and he scored eight times during those appearances.

Although his time in Buffalo was limited, Michael Peca was an outstanding leader, excelling along the way at every level of hockey.

Today he resides in Buffalo with his wife Kristen and their two children. He continues to be a part of the Buffalo hockey community as former GM, Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the Buffalo Junior Sabres.

STACEY SCHROEDER-WATT

One of the most successful Western New York prep athletes of the ’90s, Stacey Schroeder-Watt exemplified the skills and character of an all-around performer. The Grand Island High School product made her mark in each of the three sports she competed in – volleyball, basketball and track & field.

As a center on the Viking’s basketball team, she was a second team league All Star in 1991 and a first team league All-Star in volleyball in 1992, however it was her success in shattering records in shot put and discus, which still stand today, that garnered her awards and accolades.

Schroeder-Watt won five Section VI shot put titles and four Section discus crowns to go along with eight Niagara Frontier League championships.

She won her first New York State Public High School Athletic Association State Championship in the shot put in 1991 and went on to win both shot put and discus in 1992, shattering the state discus record with a mark of 172 feet, which no one has matched since.

Named an All-American in both 1991 and 1992, it was her success in the discus circle that earned her the No. 1 ranking in the United States for high school athletes in discus in 1992. In addition, she was a two-time USA indoor scholastic throwing champion and Gatorade Circle of Champions State Winner and Player of the Year.

Schroeder-Watt’s awards and successes continued into college. After receiving a full athletic scholarship to the University of Florida, she was named a two-time NCAA All-American in discus, placed in the U.S. Olympic festival and Pan-American Games, and was a member of the All-Academic Team by the U.S. Track Coaches Association.

After graduation from the University of Florida, Schroeder-Watt went on to receive her doctorate from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. Today, Schroeder-Watt uses the intensity and team player skill set she learned as an athlete in her career as a pediatric anesthesiologist at Women and Children’s Hospital in Buffalo.

In 2011, she was inducted into the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, and in 2014 she was selected as part of the inaugural class of the Section VI Athletic Hall of Fame.

TOM TERHAAR

Born in the fall of 1969 in Buffalo, Tom Terhaar has become one of the most accomplished rowing coaches in the world.

Tom’s passion for rowing came from his first interaction during a “Learn to Row” camp at West Side Rowing Club that he and some friends attended the summer between his freshman and sophomore years in high school. Shortly afterwards, he transferred to St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute and competed on their rowing team. He was inducted into the St. Joe’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. After graduating from St. Joe’s, he went to Northwestern to row on their team as a heavyweight, then transferred to Rutgers University to row in the lightweight category. He finished out his collegiate career in New Jersey.

After completing his undergraduate studies in 1991, he took his love for rowing into the coaching ranks. Tom spent five years at Columbia University coaching the men’s lightweight team, and at the same time he became an assistant coach for the U.S. women’s team (1994-2000). At Columbia, his men’s team took a silver medal in the 1998 Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships and his crew won the Eastern Sprints title for the first time ever in 2000. After leading the women’s quadruple sculls to a fifth-place finish in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Tom earned the honor of becoming the Head Coach of the U.S. Women’s Rowing Team.

Since Tom Terhaar took over the women’s program, there has been no turning back, as the program has achieved unprecedented success. With Tom’s guidance, in the World Rowing Championships, the U.S. women’s eight finished 4th in 2001 and won gold in 2002; the women’s quads took gold in 2003. The women’s eight again won the world title in 2006 and set a world’s best time. In 2007 the eight and quad teams both won world championships and, as a result, Tom was chosen the United States Olympic Committee Coach of the Year. He would trump that honor by being selected World Rowing Coach of the Year in 2009.

The U.S. women’s eight crew has been unstoppable. They have won 11 straight major international competitions since 2006, including three consecutive Olympic gold medals – 2008 (Beijing), 2012 (London), and 2016 (Rio de Janeiro). Prior to that string of success, Tom’s women’s eight won a silver medal in 2004 (Athens), the first time the team had medaled in this event since 1984. The women’s quad also took a bronze at the 2012 London Olympics.

Tom Terhaar’s storied career continues, but he has already solidified himself as one of the United States best rowing coaches ever.