When it came time to find a new San Diego women's rowing coach, Associate Vice President/Executive Director of Athletics Bill McGillis didn't need to look far. Or go far, for that matter. All McGillis had to do was step outside his office, walk down the hall, down a flight of stairs and into the next building.
 
Stesha Carlé holed up inside the Sports Center as USD's assistant women's rowing coach and recruiting coordinator. Last month, McGillis tabbed Carlé to succeed Olympian Sarah Trowbridge as the Toreros' head coach.
 
As for credentials, Carlé was difficult to beat. She served as Trowbridge's assistant coach and recruiting coordinator the past two years. She won three World Championship silver medals representing the U.S. National Team. And she competed in the 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials.
 
As for her zeal for competition, Carlé demonstrated that trait early in her rowing career. Carlé first took up the sport her freshman year in high school. In one of her early workouts she was tested rowing 2,000 meters on an ergometer.
 
Her time that day beat her brother Jarret's best time. Jarret is one year older. Needless to say, she passed the news to Jarret the minute she saw him.
 
"Probably the best day of my life," jokes Carlé. "I tend to be competitive."
 
Carlé and her three older brothers --- Aaron and twins Dustin and Jarret – followed their mother's passion for rowing. Carlé admits she took to the sport quickly.
 
"Some of it's the hard work you put in is what you get out of it," she says. "If you want to be good, all you have to do is try hard. We all start out even. No one starts rowing as a child."
 
She rowed for four years at the University of Michigan on the varsity eights, serving as captain her senior year. Then came a lengthy stint with the national team and chasing the Olympic dream.
 
There were a combination of factors that drew Carlé to USD.
 
"Ultimately what drew me to this place was how much potential it had," she says. "The athletic department is very supportive of the team. I was excited about what could be developed in the next handful of years.
 
"The team is just such a good group of people. One, they're just real solid teammates. There's a real good balance of being competitive but also being supportive. Yes, everyone's fighting every day. But they're also helping bring each other along."
 
She was also drawn to the university's commitment to develop the complete person, not just a rower.
 
"You really do see how much both the school and the athletic department value the students," she says. "There's this extra layer making sure you're not just earning your degree but you're moving toward a career."
 
The USD women have been making strides in the West Coast Conference, finishing third in 2017 and second last year.
 
"I want us to start climbing the reigns," said Carlé. "Doing things the program has never done before."
 
She plans go put her own stamp on the program by bringing more data-driven training.
 
"Finding ways we can capitalize on our training," she says.
 
The meat of the USD rowing season is in the spring. This week, the varsity eights head to Cambridge, Mass., to compete in the Head of the Charles regatta. The next week it's off to Sacramento for the Head of the American regatta.
 
Carlé is blessed with a standout rower, senior Kadee Sylla, who last summer made the United States' Under 23 World Championship team in the fours.
 
"I think what makes her good is her ability to keep learning," says Carlé. "Her sophomore year, if she'd been complacent with how she was approaching training, I'm not sure she would have got to this level."
 
For her part, Sylla thinks USD made the ideal head coaching hire.
 
"She's super knowledgeable and a real good coach," says Sylla. "You can go to her about anything rowing or outside rowing."
 
Sylla was stressed last summer before competing in the World Championships in Sarasota, Fla. Sylla's family couldn't make the trip. Sensing her athlete's uneasiness, Carlé flew to Florida and immediately upon landing took an Uber to Sylla's hotel and talked with her for 2½ hours.
 
"She didn't have to do that if she didn't want," says Sylla. "That just one example of her caring. I needed somebody to talk to and she did it without me asking. That's commitment."