Meet Our Dedicated Coaches

Our team of expert coaches is committed to nurturing the skills and passion of athletes of all ages in the sport of rowing.

Master's Coaches

Junior's Coaches

Our Coaching Philosophy

At Austin Rowing Club, our coaching staff is dedicated to fostering a supportive and challenging environment for our athletes. With a focus on skill development, teamwork, and personal growth, our coaches are passionate about guiding each rower to reach their full potential. We believe in the power of rowing to build character, discipline, and resilience, and our team is committed to making a positive impact on every athlete’s journey.

Master's Coaching

Patrick Kelly

Masters Racing Team: Head Coach

Patrick has worked at ARC for over ten years. He has coached many ARC club members, having worked with Competitive Masters, Learn to Row,  Team Survivor, and Rec crews. Coach Kelly currently coaches the Varsity Boys squad with our Juniors Program. PK rows with the Masters Racing Team, and stays active with running and cycling. 

Coach Kelly started rowing as a college freshman at Loyola Marymount University. He coached collegiately for twenty years before moving to Austin and joining ARC. PK is married to his wonderful wife Laurie, who he met at ARC!

Megan Getman

Masters Club Team Head Coach

Megan has been coaching master’s recreational crews since 2016, and in fall of 2021 she became the head coach for the master’s club rowers where she oversees practices and nurtures community among rec rowers and coaches – both sweep and sculling.

In 2001, Megan joined the local high school team and went on to row at Pacific Lutheran University.  While rehabbing a back injury in 2006, Megan started coaching the junior’s program that shared the boathouse with her college team.  Megan continued to coach at CRI in Boston while studying for her grad programs.

Eventually a job brought her to Texas and ARC.  Megan is often joined by her dog, Winny.  In her spare time she paints and reads comic books.  

Paulina Guerrero

Masters Club Team Coach

Nijia Zhou

Masters Club Team Coach

Jim Chou

Masters Club Team Coach

Scott Brinkman

Masters Club Team Coach

Arch Bell

Masters Club Team Coach

Junior's Coaching

Patrick Kelly

Junior's Program: Head of Juniors Program, Boy’s Head Coach

Patrick has worked at ARC for over ten years. He has coached many ARC club members, having worked with Competitive Masters, Learn to Row,  Team Survivor, and Rec crews. Coach Kelly currently coaches the Varsity Boys squad with our Juniors Program. PK rows with the Masters Racing Team, and stays active with running and cycling. 

Coach Kelly started rowing as a college freshman at Loyola Marymount University. He coached collegiately for twenty years before moving to Austin and joining ARC. PK is married to his wonderful wife Laurie, who he met at ARC!

Coach James

Hannah Heyerdahl

Junior Varsity Girls: Head Coach

Hannah Heyerdahl-Nussdorfer has been with the ARC Junior Program since 2018 and is the current head coach for the varsity girls. She grew up in Atlanta where she first started rowing in college. She rowed at the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech before moving to Austin.

Hannah enjoys working with juniors at all age levels and has experience working with both varsity and novice girls. Most recently she trained up novice girls to race at high levels leading up to youth nationals. She primarily worked with girls in the in the u16 8+ (6th and 11th place), but also trained girls to be able to compete in the u17 8+ and youth categories within their first year of rowing.

Hannah is married to Ethan, who is also a girls coach at ARC! They have a dog together named Butter. You can usually see Butter the dog on the launch during practice watching boats. Hannah enjoys lifting, rowing, and spending time with her family in her free time.

Thomas Johnston

Junior Novice Girls: Head Coach

Thomas joins the ARC coaching team this year with 8+ years of elite rowing. His accomplishments include two recruitments to the US Junior National Team for both sweep and sculls. He was later recruited to the University of California Berkeley where he sat on an undefeated freshmen 8+ and won an IRA Silver in the Coxed 4 in 2017.

Coach Thomas moved to Austin in June 2024, from Washington, DC, following the completion of his Masters in Cybersecurity Technology. He enjoys fitness, cooking healthy, and is always taking courses on new and interesting things.

Pedro Kfuri

Junior Novice Boys: Coach

Pedro began rowing as a freshman in college, as part of UT’s Texas Crew, where he still rows. He has worked with Team Survivor, Row to Race Summer Camps, Sculling Clinics, and the Juniors program. Pedro moved to Austin from Columbia, Missouri, where he spent a large amount of his childhood. He studies International Relations at the University of Texas.
 
He prioritises a balanced lifestyle as an athlete, with a focus on mental health and nutrition. He has won three national titles, so far, those being in the U23 4+ (RowFest 2024), Open 8+ (RowFest 2024), and the Novice Men’s 4+ (American Collegiate Rowing Association 2024). Outside of rowing, Pedro enjoys cycling, swimming, travelling, and immersing himself in new languages and cultures.

Courty Stanton

Junior's Program: Head of Juniors Program, Boy’s Head Coach

Courty got his start as a rower at Mt Baker Rowing & Sailing Center in Seattle, WA where he placed 1st at Youth Nationals in the Men’s 4+, and 1st at the Canamex Regatta as a member of the U.S. Jr. National Rowing team in 2004. His senior year he sat 7 seat in the crew that finished 4th in the Men’s 8+ in 2005. He went on to row at the University of Washington (Class of ’09) where the team had several undefeated seasons. After graduating UW, he was the assistant coach for the Lakeside School Varsity Girl’s team for their 2009 season, helping the team qualify the Lightweight 8+ and Open 4+ for Youth Nationals. In 2010 and 2011, as head coach, he helped the Varsity Boy’s qualify for Youth Nationals in the Lightweight 4+ both years. After roughly a decade away from the sport, Courty is thrilled to finally be back as a part of the rowing community!

Coach James

Ethan Nussdorfer

Junior Varsity Girls: Assistant Coach

Ethan has coached with ARC since 2016. He has coached rowers of all ages and skill levels, but his passion lies with the Juniors rowing team.

Ethan enjoys working with student athletes to develop not just rowing proficiency, but also leadership, teamwork, and perseverance.

Cooper Jobe

Junior Novice: Assistant Coach

Cooper is a new ARC coach this season. He started rowing at ARC in 2012 in the recreational program and joined the juniors team as soon as possible in 2014. Cooper loved the close team environment and being out on the lake. He went to youth nationals in the Varsity Boys Lightweight 2x, 4-, and 8- during my time as a junior and loved every second of it. After moving to Savannah, GA and graduating college He is back in Austin and excited to be back at the boathouse.

When not at the boathouse you can probably find him at the climbing gym, comic store, or local arcade playing street fighter.

Spencer Dettlinger

Junior Varsity Boys: Assistant Coach

Spencer Dettlinger joins the ARC Coaching Team with extensive rowing experience. He rowed at Oakland Strokes from 2013 to 2018 and was a 2-time Silver medalist at Youth Nationals in the Junior Men’s 8+. Spencer also stroked the USA Men’s 8+ to a Silver medal at the 2017 Junior World Championships in Trakai, Lithuania. He went on to row at University of California, Berkeley and was a 2-time PAC 12 Silver Medalist as well as the 2021 IRA Silver medal in Men’s JV8+. 

Aside from rowing, Spencer is also an avid mountain biker, car enthusiast, video producer, and joke teller.

Holly Delaney

Novice Girls: Assistant Coach

Selina Brandon

Junior Varsity Girls: Assistant Coach

Selina joined the sport of rowing in 2011 with her twin sister at Texas A&M University and continues to row competitively for the ARC Master’s Racing Team. When she isn’t rowing, she enjoys coaching club swimming and spending time with her dogs.