Thomas Dougherty was named Assistant Men’s and Women’s Rowing Coach in September of 2014. Dougherty began his coaching career at his former high school Monsignor Bonner. He helped coach the Varsity Lightweight 4, which reached the finals at both SRAA Nationals and the Stotesbury Cup.
In September 2012 Dougherty became the Assistant men’s coach at Jacksonville University. While there, Dougherty worked with the director of rowing and the head coach to train the varsity and freshmen rowers. He assisted with the recruitment athletes, training plans, equipment maintenance, and other aspects of the program. He coached the freshmen 8 in 2013 to a FIRA Championship and the finals at both SIRA and the Dad Vail. In 2014, he coached the men’s freshmen-novice 8 who were first at Dad Vail, second at SIRA and first at FIRA.
While earning his bachelor’s degree in broadcasting, with a minor in journalism, at Marietta College in Ohio, Dougherty became captain of the team his freshmen year, 2008. That spring, Dougherty steered the Freshmen 8 to a fifth place finish at the Dad Vail Regatta. He also competed in the IRA racing in the Freshmen 4+. Dougherty spent the rest of his time at Marietta (2009-2011) as the Varsity 8 coxswain. He competed in the Dad Vail, SIRA, Knecht Cup, MC/Purdue Challenge Cup, Head of the Genesee, Head of the Ohio, Frostbite Regatta, Bill Braxton Regatta and many others, accumulating various medals along the way. Off the water, Dougherty was an involved student-athlete who was a four year member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) serving as the president in 2010-2011 and as secretary in 2009-2010.
A product of Monsignor Bonner High School in Drexel Hill, P.A., Dougherty was four-year coxswain. During his time at Bonner, he coxed the Varsity Lightweight 8 twice (2004, 2006) and the Varsity Lightweight 4 twice (2005, 2007) during the spring seasons. His boats made the finals for SRAA Nationals all four years. His crews made the finals at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta two years (2005, 2006) and reached the Philadelphia City Championship finals three years, winning a silver medal in 2005 and a bronze in 2006. At the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship his crew won the gold in 2005, third in 2006 and second in 2007. Dougherty was awarded the Glen Williams outstanding coxswain award in 2007 as the team’s top coxswain.
Thomas still enjoys competing in boats on the elite, club, and masters levels. Most recently, he competed in the men’s club 8 for Maritime Rowing Club at the Head of the Charles in 2014. He has a masters gold medal from the Canadian Henley with West Side and has competed at Masters Worlds with Fairmount Rowing Association. This summer he will be running the Senior Women’s program for the New York Athletic Club.
