Gonzaga University Men's Crew

Dan Gehn begins his 32nd year as Director of Rowing and head men's rowing coach at Gonzaga University in 2025. Under his guidance Gonzaga crew has become a recognized team on the West Coast and in recent years the Bulldogs have started to appear on the national rowing scene.  Since 2001, Gonzaga has competed as a member of the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association. His Varsity 8+ and Junior Varsity 8+ teams have had 23 WIRA top-three finishes since moving into the conference, winning the Varsity 8+ and Junior Varsity 8+ in 2009. The Varsity 8+ boat also claimed Gold in 2012 and most recently in 2013 and 2014. In 2005, 2008 and 2011, Gehn was named the WIRA Coach of the Year. They won the California Cup twice, in 1997 and 2003 at the San Diego Crew Classic  Gonzaga has also made a mark on the national scene, obtaining automatic bids to the IRA National Championships in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2025. Locally, his Zags have swept Washington State in the Fawley Cup the last four seasons and are 23-4 in his tenure. It was the first-ever bid for the Junior Varsity 8+ and the second for the Varsity 8+ in 2009. The Varsity 8+ placed 17th, its best finish in school history - since the IRA's was made the official men's national championships in 1997, while the Junior Varsity 8+ placed 13th. As a team, which included the Freshman 8+, the Zags earned a collective 16th place finish.  Gonzaga earned bids to the IRA national championship in the Varsity 8+, Junior Varsity 8+ and Freshman 8+ in both 2011 and 2012. The 2011 campaign saw the Varsity 8+ tie its best finish in school history, finishing 17th. The Junior Varsity 8+ placed 14th and the Freshman 8+ captured 17th. The Bulldogs 2012 season ended with their Varsity 8+ claiming 18th at the IRA's, while the Freshman 8+ took 17th and the Junior Varsity 8+ placed 15th.  The Zags earned bids to the 2013 IRA National Championship in the Varsity 8+, Second Varsity 8+, Varsity 4+ and the Open 4+. The Open 4+ placed 11th; the highest finish in school history, while the Varsity 8+ took 22nd and the Second Varsity 8+ claimed 18th.  In 2014, the Varsity 8+ finished 24th and the Second Varsity 8+ took 18th. The 2008 season was no different as the Varsity 8+ obtained a bid to the IRA National Championships placing 21st. It was the school's first appearance since the IRA became the official men's national championship 12 years prior. They also had their first appearance in the USRowing Top 20 rankings debuting at number 18.  The varsity four advanced to the IRA Championships in 2017. The Bulldogs are no strangers to the IRA's, having made their first splash in 1996 when the Varsity 8+ finished 13th. Since then the Varsity 4+ has dominated for the Zags, finishing fourth in 1998, 2006 and 2007. The Varsity 4+ also claimed a seventh place finish in 2005 and a ninth place finish in 2004.  Helping programs garner national recognition is something Gehn has prided himself on since entering the coaching profession in 1989 as freshman men's rowing coach at the University of Wisconsin, his alma mater. His freshman rowing squads were repeatedly ranked among the nation's elite squads for freshman crew. In 1989 his freshman 4+ claimed the championship at the IRA Championship Regatta. During his six-year tenure at Wisconsin, Gehn's squads won six Midwest Rowing Championships and had four top-six finishes in both the Eastern Sprints and IRA Championship Regatta.  Prior to his coaching career, Gehn was a standout rower at Wisconsin until he graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology. While a member of the Badger rowing squad, Gehn helped guide his teams to four straight top-three finishes at the IRA Championship Regatta, including a freshman championship in 1985. The Badgers 1986 varsity 8+ also claimed a national title at the Cincinnati Regatta and during the 1986, '87 and '88 seasons Wisconsin won the Ten-Eyck Trophy representing the overall team champion at the IRA's. Gehn finished his four years of rowing at Wisconsin with his squads never finishing lower than eighth at a national event with 10 finishes in the top three or higher.  Gehn was able to parlay his rowing success in college to a spot on the U.S. National Rowing Team in 1987. That team won a Silver Medal at the Pan American Games in Indianapolis, Ind.  A true promoter of crew, Gehn has worked during the summer with several United States Rowing Association Developmental Camps. In 1999 and 2000 Gehn worked with the USRA Men's Development Camp in Madison, Wisc., and coached his squad to several top three finishes at the Canadian Henley Regatta, including a first place finish for the Intermediate 8+. In 1993 Gehn coached at the United States Olympic Festival working with athletes from the North and West squads. Gehn has two daughters, Lucy and Grace, and a son Angus.

SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga Director of Athletics Chris Standiford announced that Mark Voorhees has been hired as the head coach of GU's women's rowing program.   A two-time Gonzaga graduate, standout student-athlete, and veteran coach with over two decades of experience, Voorhees brings a deep connection to the university and a proven track record of success with both the men's and women's rowing programs.   "Mark has been an integral part of Gonzaga Rowing for over two decades," Standiford said. "He brings unmatched experience, institutional knowledge, and a deep commitment to the holistic development of our student-athletes. We're excited for the vision and consistency he brings as he takes the helm of the women's program."   "I want to thank Chris Standiford for this incredible opportunity to come back and lead the program that gave me my start in coaching," Voorhees said. "To be able to take this next step in my career at an institution – and in a department – that I care so deeply about is the best scenario I could have imagined. I'm truly honored to lead a team comprised of so many committed young women who embrace and embody the mission of the university and are dedicated to pursuing excellence on the water, in the classroom, and in our community. Go Zags!"    Voorhees has been a fixture in Gonzaga Rowing since 2010, serving as an assistant and later associate head coach for the men's rowing program. During that time, he led the development of one of the most consistent novice squads on the West Coast. Under his guidance, the Men's Novice 8+ captured silver at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships in nearly every season. His crews went on to strong national finishes as well, including 17th place at the 2011 and 2012 IRA National Championships, 11th in the Open 4+ in 2013, and 18th in the Second Varsity 8+ in 2014.   As a recruiter, Voorhees played a major role in building out the men's roster, highlighted by the largest recruiting class in program history in 2018, which brought 17 student-athletes to Spokane.   In addition to his work with the men's team, Voorhees served as an assistant coach for the Gonzaga women's rowing program from 2008 to 2010, where he coached the Varsity 4+ to a gold medal at the 2009 WIRA Championships and a silver at the WCC Championships that same year. His efforts contributed to Gonzaga securing its 12th WCC title in 13 seasons. In 2010, the Varsity 4+ again earned silver at the WCC Championships and finished fourth at WIRAs.   A decorated rower himself, Voorhees was a two-time All-WIRA First Team honoree and team captain as a Gonzaga student-athlete. He helped the Men's Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+ to several top regional and national finishes, including a fourth-place finish at WIRAs and a top 10 result at the IRA Championships. After graduating in 2004 with a bachelor's in exercise science, he relocated to Philadelphia to pursue U.S. National Team selection. Racing with Vesper Boat Club, he won multiple U.S. National and Canadian Henley Championships and competed in three World Championship Trials and the 2008 Olympic Trials.   Voorhees earned his master's degree in Sport and Athletic Administration from Gonzaga in 2016. He lives in Spokane with his wife, Sinead Harris-Jones ('07), also a Gonzaga alum.