Jon Douglas is in his fourth year coaching the freshmen heavyweights and recruiting oarsmen for Columbia. Douglas has been an integral part of the heavyweights’ recent successes, including 15 Cup wins since he joined the staff and three top 12 finishes for all three boats that entered the IRA National Regatta in 2010. His freshmen capped off the 2010 season with a berth in the Grand Final of the Eastern Sprints Regatta.

Douglas came to Columbia from the Rutgers, where he served as freshman heavyweight coach and led the Rutgers freshmen to impressive regular-season and Eastern Sprints showings while heading a productive recruiting effort. Prior to Rutgers, Douglas had been assistant coach of the varsity heavyweights at Cornell from 2003-04.

Douglas served as head coach at Brookline (Mass.) High, leading the Warriors to the 2002 and 2003 Massachusetts Public School Championship titles. Under his guidance, Brookline qualified for the US Rowing Youth Invitational for the first time in the school’s history.

During the summers of 2003 and 2004, Douglas served as the assistant coach for the USA Junior National Rowing Team. He led the Junior Men’s Coxed Four to a fourth-place finish at the Junior World Rowing Championships the same year the US eight won the silver medal. Douglas also coached the U.S.A. eight, four and pair to CanAmMex gold medals.

A varsity heavyweight letterman at Cornell, Douglas went on to row for the U.S. National Team during the summer of 2002. Coached by present Columbia heavyweight head coach and director of rowing Mike Zimmer, Douglas earned a bronze medal with the U.S.A. Lightweight Eight at the 2002 Senior World Rowing Championships. He also placed sixth in the International Lightweight Final at
the CRASH-B Championships.

“I’m very excited to have Jon Douglas on the Columbia heavyweight coaching staff,” Zimmer said. “Jon and I worked very well together when he rowed on the 2002 National Team. He and I share philosophies on the efficacy of hard work and preparation. Jon has been a very diligent recruiter and has instilled the work ethic in the Columbia freshmen that they need to succeed at the varsity level.”

Douglas entered the coaching profession after his stint with the National Team. He received a B.S. in environmental engineering from Cornell University and currently resides in Brooklyn.