Head & Elite Coach, Men's Rowing

Vincent Ventura, Rowing Chairman & Head Coach, Women's & Men's Rowing
ventura@nyacrowing.net Tel: (718) 653-1899

A veteran coach and former rower at the New York Athletic Club, Vincent Ventura has coached numerous National Championship crews as well as rowers such as Carly Geer (Silver 1x, '84 Olympics), Paul Fuchs (Gold Lt 1x, '87 Pan Am Games; Silver Lt 2x, Silver 1x, Bronze 1x, Worlds), and Larry Klecatsky (Silver Lt 2x, Bronze Lt 2x, Worlds). Ventura, who has been involved with the club for decades, also volunteers his time as the Chairman of the NYAC's Rowing Committee.

Vinny serves as the head coach year-round, devote his time both to the men's team and to the women's squad which he helped to establish at the NYAC.  A full time teacher, Vinny somehow manages to find both the time to organize the NYAC crews year-round and the energy to serve on numerous USRowing initiatives, most recently the High Performance Committee and the National Championship Review Committee.

To contact Vinny Ventura about trying out for the team, please fill out our online information form.

Mike Zimmer, Head & Elite Coach, Men's Rowing

Mike currently serves as full-time women's head coach at Columbia University during the academic year.    Mike joined our coaching staff in 1996 to coach the men's lightweight program during the peak summer racing season.  With three seasons as the Men's Sweep coach, Zimmer comes to the New York Athletic Club with six years of experience as Varsity coach of the Columbia University Lightweights. Mike earned himself the title of the 1996 EARC Lightweight Coach of the Year, and coached the Lions to a bronze medal finish at the 1996 IRA Regatta in Camden, NJ.  More recently, he has coached the US Nation's Cup Teams, placing fifth with the Lightweight Men's 4- in 2000 and earning a silver medal with the Men's 8 in 2001.

Zimmer has an extensive and enviable history of success with Lightweight rowing. He began coaching in the Lightweight program at Princeton University, his alma mater. In 1990, his Tiger Freshman Lightweights were undefeated and won the Eastern Sprints, and his Freshman Four/with took third at the I.R.A. Regatta.

Zimmer was a member of Princeton's successful 1988  lightweight crew, and stroked the 1986 Junior Varsity EARC and IRA Fours. He rowed at England's Henley Royal Regatta three times, twice with Princeton and once with St. Andrew's School in Delaware. Zimmer rowed with the Lightweight Pre-Elite Team in 1987 and the Junior National Team camp in 1984.

To contact Mike Zimmer about trying out for the men's team, please fill out our online information form.

Eileen O'Rourke, Head Coach, Junior Rowing

Eileen, a NYAC rower herself, oversees all of the coaching for the NYAC's Junior Rowers. She has coached USRowing's Junior Girls Development Camp, and has competed at the elite level in events like the Pan-American Games, Canadian Henley, and Elite Nationals.  She also serves on the NYAC's Rowing Committee.

A direct product of the Cornell Crew program, John Flynn joined as assistant to Head Coach Ventura in the summer of '98.  After serving as manager to the Cornell Varsity  Heavyweight Men from 1991-1994, John coached the freshmen at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, served as the Head Coach at St. Thomas More School, and spent a year working with the Varsity Women at Manhattan College.  John parlayed his coaching experience into a full time job and is now the assistant rowing coach at the University of Minnesota. John is responsible for the women's freshman/novice program.   

Kay Worthington, Asst. Coach, Women's Rowing 

Kay joined the staff in 1998, bringing with her a wealth of world class racing experience.  A member of the Canadian Olympic Team in 1984, 1988, and 1992, she capped an impressive international career with two gold medals at the Barcelona Games, winning both in the 8 and the 4-. Here at the NYAC, she serves as an assistant to Vinny Ventura, often by rowing with the team to provide individualized coaching attention.  While she does hold a full-time job in the city, she also works as a color commentator for the Canadian Broadcasting Company, covering rowing at World Cup and Olympic venues.

Kevin Murphy, Asst Coach, Men's Rowing
kcmurphy63@optonline.net

Kevin, a long-time NYAC athlete and multiple-time National Champion for the AC returned to the club as a coach in the summer of 2002. During his time away from the AC he spent a year as the head coach of the Manhattan College men's rowing team and six years at his alma mater, Iona College, performing various coaching duties including director of the rowing program for three years. When not coaching, or refereeing his four children, Kevin works full-time for IBM in White Plains, NY. .