Norfolk, Va. - Old Dominion Head Coach Brian Conley and the ODU Rowing team announced on Wednesday three new additions to the coaching staff in Henry Leonardi, Stephanie Lamphear, and Alexa Williams.
“I am excited to announce our new staff that bring a wealth of experience both as athletes and as coaches themselves. In going through the interview process, it was obvious that Henry, Stephanie and Alexa were the right fit for what the team needs and goals were,” said Conley.
After the last five years of competing in the American Athletic Conference, the Monarchs return to the Big 12 Conference this season. ODU competed in the Big 12 for 2015-18 before moving to the AAC.
“Now that we are in the Big 12 conference, it is important to have coaches that know both building a team and how to perpetuate success once you have built the team,”
Let's look further into the three additions starting with Henry.
HENRY LEONARDI:
2023 ACRA Assistant Coach of the Year
Assistant Men’s Club Varsity Crew Coach - Bucknell
Henry on first meeting with Conley:
“While working with Brian at a youth camp this summer, I got a real sense of how encouraged he is by the trajectory of the program and by the resources it has at its disposal. The ingredients to succeed within the Big 12 are certainly here, and I look forward to working within the framework of this staff to make the program the fastest it has ever been. I would like to thank Brian for entrusting me with such a meaningful role, and Dan Wolleben for his caring mentorship over the better part of the last decade. Enough talk, let's get to work.”
Conley on Henry:
“Henry is a proven coach and recruiter. He obviously loves the sport of rowing and his experience of recruiting some top athletes to Bucknell and the team progressively getting faster each year was definitely a product of the work he did with the team and behind the scenes on the recruiting trail. His efforts led to him being named the ACRA Assistant Coach of the year last year and that kind of attention to detail in recruiting and coaching is what the team needs.”
STEPHANIE LAMPHEAR:
Assistant Coach - Eastern Michigan
Lamphear on joining the ODU program:
“I'm truly thrilled to be a part of the ODU Women's Rowing team and to contribute to their progressing success. This is a demanding sport and I'm ready to do my part to help the athletes achieve their full potential."
Conley on Lamphear:
“Stephanie comes back to the area of Norfolk having been recruited and coached at her collegiate alma mater Eastern Michigan the past several years. Her experience of engaging the freshmen recruits and the walk-on athletes has already provided great success in helping us expand our roster with athletes. Her efforts at Eastern Michigan were definitely seen in both the size of Eastern Michigan’s roster, but how the walk-ons she coached added to the program each year.”
ALEXA WILLIAMS:
ODU Graduate
Assistant Coach - Norfolk Academy
Williams on working with her alma mater:
“I am honored and thrilled to work as the Graduate Assistant for the ODU Women’s Rowing Team. I am excited to return to my alma mater in this new capacity, eager to contribute to the program that has significantly shaped my journey. I look forward to working closely with the faculty and staff to advance the Women’s Rowing Team’s goals and contribute to its continued success.”
Conley on Williams:
“Alexa comes back to ODU having graduated in 2019. Alexa was consistently one of the top athletes when she was at ODU and her competitive drive is something that we are looking to infuse more of in the current team. Alexa has spent the past couple of years coaching local programs and raising the level of the Eastern Virginia Scholastic Association. Alexa has started competing as a coastal rower and has raced internationally for the US, most recently in Spain and Italy.”
The three new additions will help bolster a coaching staff in time for the upcoming fall race schedule which starts in October.