Boston University Names Doldron First Women's Lightweight Rowing Coach
June 29, 2012 | Women's Rowing, Women's Lightweight Rowing
Lightweight Rowing Prospect Questionnaire
BOSTON - Malcolm Doldron, a 13-year coaching veteran and former standout coxswain, has been selected to lead the Boston University women's lightweight rowing program in its upcoming inaugural season, Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics Mike Lynch announced Friday. Currently serving as assistant coach for the Terriers' openweight team, Doldron will continue to serve as recruiting coordinator and will assume his new position on Monday, July 2.
"I'm delighted to give Malcolm Doldron the responsibility of building our new women's lightweight program from the ground up," said Lynch. "With the addition of having already spent a year at BU and becoming accustomed to the culture here, he was an excellent candidate because of his proven track record in the Ivy League of recruiting and developing impressive student-athletes."
"The women's rowing team has a rich history as being the oldest women's varsity sport at Boston University," he added. "Boston University's decision in February to add women's lightweight rowing as a sport was guided by the belief that we are putting ourselves in a class with some of the best rowing programs anywhere in the country. I'm very excited for the future of rowing at BU."
A standout coxswain at Marietta College, Doldron joined women's rowing head coach Stacey Rippetoe's staff last fall as an assistant. Under his guidance, the Terriers' third varsity eight boat made up of novices earned the silver medal at the Eastern Sprints, finishing only behind No. 1 Virginia.
"I trust Malcolm's leadership skills and instincts," said Rippetoe. "Malcolm knows how to teach and inspire the athletes to perform at a championship level. He has the ability to be an independent, strong leader while acting as part of a coaching staff that works very closely together to serve the whole team."
Prior to joining BU's staff, he spent the previous four seasons as an assistant at Columbia University while also working as the head coach of the U.S. Rowing Under-23 and Senior Women's Development Camp at the Penn Athletic Club.
"I'd like to thank Mike (Lynch), (Deputy Director) Drew (Marrochello) and Stacey (Rippetoe) for showing their faith in me to develop and lead this program," said Doldron. "There is a rich tradition of excellence here at BU. I intend to build upon that tradition by producing an elite lightweight rowing program that is committed to excellence both on and off the water. I'm honored, I'm extremely humbled, and I'm excited to get started."
Under his watch, the Lions' second varsity eight boat placed fourth at the Eastern Sprints in 2010, and the novice eight boat also placed fourth in 2009. During his first season with the team in 2008, the novice four boat won the Grand Final.
While working at the Penn Athletic Club in the summer of 2009 and 2010, he guided the crew to the overall team points trophy at the U.S. Rowing National Championships, winning seven event titles along the way. His lightweight eight and four boats went on to place first at the Royal Canadian Henley as well with the eights setting a course record.
Doldron joined Columbia after spending two seasons with Princeton as a volunteer assistant. While with the Tigers, he guided the varsity `a' four boat to a 25-2 record and a third-place finish at the 2007 Eastern Sprints. The boat went on to finish fourth at the NCAA Championship. The novice four boat also took home the title at Eastern Sprints.
Although he was born in Brooklyn, Doldron grew up in the Washington, D.C., area. He began coxing at West Potomac High in Alexandria and for the Thompson Boat Center.
He spent seven years, from 1999 to 2005, as head coach of rowing at West Potomac, guiding the men's fours to gold at the Scholastic Nationals and silver at the Stotesbury Cup, and both men's and women's fours to gold and silver medals at the Virginia State Championships.
In five years as junior women's head coach at the Thompson Boat Center, his junior and youth eights and fours earned multiple gold medals in the U.S. Rowing National Championships. The highlight performance came in 2005 when the crews captured the Marion D. Ventura Women's Points Trophy.
In high school, the Alexandria resident served as coxswain of the varsity eight at West Potomac, earning silver in the Northern Virginia Championships, and a bronze medal as coxswain of the junior men's four at the 1995 nationals, representing the Thompson Boat Center. He continued his rowing career at Marietta College, where he was the coxswain for the Pioneers' varsity eight boat that earned bronze medals at the 1998 SIRA's and Dad Vail Regatta. He graduated from Marietta in 1999 with a B.A. in psychology.
Following graduation, Doldron became a special education teacher at Fairfax High in Fairfax, Va.
