Coaching Staff

Drew
Combs

Head Coach
Director

Ally
Eggleton

Assistant Coach
Business Administrator

What are your previous rowing stops?

I rowed D1 at Marist College, and have had many coaching stints since then! I coached at Kent School Boat Club (2nd Boys Asst), CRI Novice Boys, Northeastern University Women’s Rowing Vol/2nd Asst, University of Buffalo Novice Women’s Head Coach, Sarasota Crew Women’s Head Coach, Norwalk River Rowing Director & Women’s Head Coach, Fairfield University Women’s Rowing Asst Coach, Connecticut Boat Club Asst. Coach.

What brought you to LHRC?

The call home. I grew up in Washington CT and when LHRC posted a job available, the chance to be closer to family and do something truly special in a place that I love was too good to pass up. Also, Sue Edelstein is a great pitchwoman.

I continue to love this job thanks to our amazing community of kindhearted athletes who want to learn and work hard. LHRC is one of the best rowing communities I have had the pleasure to be a part of (and, as you can see above, I have been part of several). The joy of getting these amazing athletes to believe their potential, and then to take them from our little wooded corner of CT to major US Rowing events and win is a challenge and success that will always thrill me.

Why do you coach?

There is no better reward than helping athletes unlock their potential and realize they are limitless. I have always been in sports—they played a huge role in my development as a youth and provided a haven for me when things were hard. I always thought I wanted to be a History Teacher and taught for a little bit, but when given the opportunity to Coach at Kent, I found what truly made me happy. Rowing offers that same reward of teaching but in a much better office: floating on water in some of the most beautiful places on earth.

What suggestions do you have for our athletes to improve themselves outside of rowing?

• Read Extreme Ownership By Jocko Willink & Leif Babin (tenets for personal success, power of viewing events in different ways)

• Watch the films “Iron Cowboy” & “14 Peaks” (the power of belief, amazingness of the human spirit and body)

• Watch and read E:60 & Run Kayla Run (positive outlook, appreciation)

What are your previous rowing stops?

As mentioned above, I discovered rowing at Skidmore College (DIII) where I was a coxswain. I was the Senior Assistant Juniors coach with Great River Rowing from 2018-2021. Prior to that, I served as Director of Yale’s Community Rowing Program for four years and Head Coach of the program for eighteen years.

What brought you to LHRC?

When COVID shut down the Yale Community Rowing Program, I was looking to get back involved with a program that has a focus on the community and helping to ensure that the sport of rowing is available to all individuals who want to participate.  Litchfield Hills Rowing Club’s mission closely aligns with my goals and philosophy, and I am excited to once again be able to develop programs that enrich the lives of local area youth. 

Why do you coach?

The short answer, it makes me happy.  

Growing up I was never the best athlete, and it wasn’t until college that I really became confident with my own athletic abilities.  I love working with people to empower and inspire them to realize their greatest unknown potential.

What suggestions do you have for athletes to improve themselves outside of rowing?

• Watch “Perfect” scene from Friday Night Lights film (working towards a goal with pure intentions)

• Read “Our Deepest Fear” poem by Marianne Williamson (self-perception, self-confidence)

What are your previous rowing stops?

I rowed with a few different teams in Connecticut and Massachusetts in high school before eventually finding my home at Litchfield Hills Rowing Club, competing with our youth team my senior year through the end of my high school career. I now compete DII on the men’s heavyweight team at Mercyhurst University in upstate New York, entering my sophomore year on campus.

What brought you to LHRC?

My friend, eventual pair partner (see photo above), and now fellow LHRC coach Matt Piazza convinced me to row with him for my senior year of high school. Now LHRC can’t get rid of me!

Why do you coach?

I coach to help youth athletes reach their goals, and to show them that anything is possible with hard work!

What are your previous rowing stops?

I rowed for Canterbury School and GMS in high school. I also rowed DI for the University of Michigan in college, earning not one but TWO Big Ten Championship rings.

What brought you to LHRC?

I’m a Thomaston native and was a lifeguard for Sandy Beach when I was 15, so I’d often see the boats out on the water in the morning. A couple of years later I was working at a local restaurant when one of our master’s rowers mentioned LHRC to me, so the club’s existence was always in my mind. After I graduated from Michigan in spring 2021, I reached out to Drew to see if he needed to add anyone to his coaching staff, and I was in luck! The rest is history.

Why do you coach?

The short answer is that I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to such an integral part of my life for the past 8 years. I love being a student of this sport and passing that passion on to others to help them achieve their potential. I truly believe the relationships that this sport demands facilitate the most amazing team environment full of support, perseverance, and wanting the best for your teammates because when they succeed, you succeed too, and I love being a part of that process now from a coaching perspective. Plus, there’s no lying that watching boats move is mesmerizing in and of itself.

What suggestions do you have for athletes to improve themselves outside of rowing?

• Read: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** by Mark Manson (One of the hardest things about rowing and training is getting in your own way of success, and Manson’s whole message is to not try to make lemonade out of lemons, but instead confront painful truths and embrace our fears and learn how to persevere and thrive in the face of challenge, especially mental ones.)

• Read: Mind Gym by Gary Mack (A must-read for any athlete and, shocker, another book about building mental muscle so that your mind isn’t what is hindering your success. I was a psychology major, and I love the way that Mack explains how your mind has just as much of an impact on your performance as your physical skill does. Our body will only go as far as our mind will push it, so I find that the more “mental muscle” you build, the more prepared you are to utilize your physical skills.)

• Get to know: The Tradition of Texas A&M’s 12th Man (The legendary tale of E. King Gill emphasizes the importance of every single member of a team, no matter how low in the ranks you may be.)