SAN DIEGO – Three-time Olympian Bryan Volpenhein was named Training and Technical Director for San Diego men's rowing, as announced Friday by head coach Brooks Dagman.
 
Volpenhein joins the Toreros after serving as the U.S. National Team men's coach for the past six years. He selected and prepared the priority boat for competition at World Cups, World Championships and the 2016 Rio Olympics.
 
Volpenhein is a three-time Olympian as a competitor and stroked the U.S. Men's Eight to a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is a 10-time U.S. national team member and was elected the USRowing Male Athlete of the Year in 2002 and 2004.
 
"To have a coach of Bryan's caliber join our coaching staff at USD is a phenomenal blessing," said Dagman. "He brings a deep understanding of high-level rowing to our table. Few rowing coaches currently working in the U.S. also know what it feels like to train and win at the highest possible levels of the sport. We are incredibly lucky he has chosen to settle in San Diego with his wife, Sarah Trowbridge, and 2-year-old son, Otto."
 
With the Toreros, Volpenhein will primarily be responsible for designing and implementing the training program, directing racing preparation and racing strategy, and collaborating with the head coach and assistant coach on the implementation and execution of all training sessions.
 
"I've been watching the men's team for the last year and now I'm very excited, and feel fortunate for this unique opportunity to join their team," said Volpenhein. "I'd like to thank Coach Dagman for this opportunity. I'm looking forward to working with the coaches and staff to challenge the athletes to see what we can accomplish together."
 
Prior to serving as the head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team head coach, Volpenhein was the head rowing coach at the Oklahoma City National High Performance Center from 2010-13. He was responsible for all aspects of the program including leadership, budgeting, training, logistics, rigging and equipment.
 
Volpenhein also spent time with the U.S. Rowing Association as the lightweight head coach from 2010-12. He selected and qualified LM4 for the 2010 London Olympic Games and was responsible for the development of lightweight rowing in the U.S.
 
Volpenhein boasts a wealth of successful finishes at the elite level, including a seventh-place result in the M4 at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and three gold-medal finishes at the World Rowing Cup in 2013, 2015 and 2016.
 
Volpenhein is a leader nationally in the sport and was elected as the athlete representative to the U.S. Rowing Board of Directors from 2004-08. He focused on budgetary details, selection procedures of national and Olympic rowing teams, marketing and fundraising.

Volpenhein is already active in the San Diego community and serves as the coach of the junior men at the San Diego Rowing Club.
 
Volpenhein graduated from Ohio State with a degree in philosophy in 2002 and earned a degree in culinary arts with honors from The Art Institute of Seattle in 2007. His wife, Sarah Trowbridge, is the head coach of the USD women's rowing team and they have a 2-year-old son, Otto.