USRowing Names Josy Verdonkschot as Chief High Performance Officer

Josy Verdonkschot has been named USRowing's Chief High Performance Officer, the organization announced on Thursday. He will begin his new role in January of 2022.

Verdonkschot brings more than two decades of international coaching experience and an exceptional track record of success.

"Josy brings an international reputation for excellence and forward thinking to this role, and we can't wait for him to get started," said USRowing CEO Amanda Kraus, who led the recruitment process. "This has been a long search with many qualified candidates. Josy's coaching and managerial skill set, focus on athlete wellness and care, and his deep understanding of sport science and technology set him up to be successful here. We are thrilled to have him coming aboard."

Verdonkschot served as the women's head coach for The Netherlands from 2014 to 2021, leading his athletes to three medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games where the Royal Dutch Rowing Federation finished third in the medal table. In total, he has coached crews to seven Olympic medals, including two golds.

"This position is a challenge I am looking forward to," Verdonkschot said. "We still have to finalize the details, but it feels good. I am excited to meet the U.S. athletes and to build a structure and culture to help make them successful."

Click here for Josy's letter to the USRowing community.

USRowing's search committee, which was tasked to assist the organization in finding the Chief High Performance Officer, included:

Dr. Kate Ackerman – Physician, Sports Medicine Division, Director, Female Athlete Program, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Chair, USRowing Medical Commission

David Banks – Olympian; Project Manager, Pankow Builders

Reilly Dampeer – High Performance Director, Oklahoma City High Performance Center

Lori Dauphiny – Head Coach, Princeton University Women's Rowing

Kevin Sauer – Head Coach, University of Virginia Women's Rowing

Emma Twigg – Tokyo 2020 Olympic Gold Medalist, Women's Single Sculls; Four-time Olympian

Zach Weatherford – High Performance Contractor, USOPC

"Josy led the Dutch Federation to three medals in Tokyo last summer, finishing third in the medal table," said Nobuhisa Ishizuka, USRowing Board Chair. "He knows what success looks like, and he also knows how to develop a program that puts athlete care and development at the center of its focus. We are fortunate and pleased that Josy has chosen to come onboard with USRowing, and we're looking forward to a bright future with him."