Iona University Athletics

 Iona University Director of Athletics Matthew Glovaski announced the appointment of Ben MacDougald as the department's Director of Men's and Women's Rowing in August 2023. MacDougald comes to New Rochelle after six seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the men's program at Holy Cross.
 
"We are excited to have Ben MacDougald on board as our Director of Rowing," said Glovaski.  "Ben brings exceptional dedication and a solid track record within the sport and was an integral part of the growth of the Holy Cross program during his time there. His dynamic coaching approach, coupled with his understanding of rowing's nuances, made him an outstanding choice to lead our program. We are confident that under his guidance, our rowing student-athletes will flourish both on and off the water."
 
"I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with the men and women on Iona's rowing teams," said MacDougald. "I would like to thank Director of Athletics Matthew Glovaski and his staff for welcoming me to the Iona community! I look forward to meeting the student-athletes and working with them to create a strong team culture on which to build success. The energy and enthusiasm at Iona was palpable from the moment I stepped on campus, and it is a privilege to be a part of the Iona athletics team."
 
MacDougald joined the Crusaders' staff in Fall 2019 following his graduation from the program the previous spring. His efforts saw success both in recruiting as well as on the water.  MacDougald's creation and execution of recruiting strategies have yielded some of the biggest and most talented classes in the program's history. In 2022 and 2023, MacDougald guided Holy Cross' top-ranked boat in its category, coaching the 3V8+ to a high of No. 17 in the nation in 2022 and No. 14 in 2023.  The 3V and 4V 8+ boats secured gold medals at the prestigious 2022 New England Championships, showcasing McDougald’s ability to cultivate winning teams. In the spring of 2021, MacDougald helped the Crusaders to a 15th place team finish at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championship, the best in program history.
 
MacDougald joined the Crusader staff after holding a volunteer coaching position at Holy Cross. He was a four-year member of the men's rowing team at Holy Cross as a coxswain and earned a bachelor's degree in history in 2019. After graduation, he completed the Institute for Rowing Leadership advanced certificate program in Boston. 
 
MacDougald also coached the Old Lyme Rowing Association prior to his time on the Hill.  He worked at Community Rowing Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts as the head U23 women's coach for the summer program in 2002 in addition to serving as an instructor for the program in Summer 2019 for its middle school, high school and senior participants.