An Olympic medalist and former U.S. Rowing Coach of the Year,John Pescatore has set Yale on a new course since being named headcoach on August 28, 2002. The heavyweights have moved back into theupper echelon of Ivy League rowing and regained prominence on thenational stage. The overall performance of the program has improvedevery year in Pescatore's tenure, culminating in 2006-07, as theheavyweights completed an undefeated dual racing season, combinedwith a silver medal at the Eastern Sprints Championship, a bronzemedal at the Head of the Charles in the Championship Eight (the USNational team finished first) and a gold medal at the PrincetonChase Regatta. And to cap off the year, the Yale heavyweightsdefeated Harvard in their annual 4-mile contest in what newspapershave called "the greatest comeback in the history of the regatta."Four oarsmen from the 2007 Yale crews, all recruited by Pescatore,were invited to compete for seats on the US National Team for theUnder-23 World Championships.
In the year prior to coming to Yale, Pescatore was an assistantcoach at the University of Pennsylvania and Head Coach of the EliteProgram at Vesper Boat Club in Philadelphia, preparing athletes forInternational and Olympic rowing teams. In 2000, Pescatore servedas assistant coach for the United States Olympic Team and coachedthe men's coxless pair to a Silver medal at Olympic Games inSydney, Australia. The men's pair was the top performing Americancrew in Sydney, and for his efforts, Pescatore was named the 2000U.S. Rowing Coach of the Year.
In the seven years before coaching at the Olympics, Pescatorewas Head Coach at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in SanFrancisco. Pescatore's crews earned medals in the varsity eight forseven consecutive years at the Southwest Regional Championships,winning three times, and also winning the National Championship in1997. Prior to coming to St. Ignatius he was the men's freshmencoach at Stanford University from 1988 to 1991.
As an oarsman, Pescatore won a Bronze Medal in the 1988 OlympicGames in Seoul, Korea, as stroke for the American heavyweighteight. He was also the stroke for the heavyweight pair withoutcoxswain which placed sixth in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona,Spain. In addition, Pescatore stroked the heavyweight eight whichcaptured the Gold Medal at the 1987 World Championships inCopenhagen, Denmark, setting a new world record in the process. In1986, as Captain at the University of Pennsylvania, Pescatorestroked the Varsity Eight to the Eastern Sprints Championship,snapping a 31-year drought at the Sprints and putting Penn back onthe map of Ivy League and national rowing. That same year,Pescatore's crew earned gold at the San Diego Crew Classic and seta new course record which still stands today, 21 years later.Pescatore began his rowing career at Holy Spirit High School insouthern New Jersey, rowing 6-seat in the undefeated varsity eighthis senior year, winning both the prestigious Stotesbury Cup andNational Championship regattas.
