COACHES
Richard Bell, PhD
Head Coach
Dick Bell began rowing at the Detroit Boat Club in 1959 before launching his coaching career in 1971. He has coached dozens of national champion crews and trained multiple rowers to become world champions. Bell rowed collegiately for Wayne State University and served as the 1980 Men’s Olympic Sculling Coach for the United States.
Brian Benz
Junior Men's Coach
Brian started rowing in 1979 and has gone on to win 10 National Championships and 6 Canadian Henley Senior Championships. He is a former member of the United States national Team and has competed twice in the World Championships in the 2x and in the Goodwill Games in 1990. Brian has coached at many levels including serving as the University of Michigan Men's coach, Directing the DBCC summer Learn to Row, and multiple years as a junior coach.
Mike Gentile
Junior Women's Coach
Mike began rowing for the Detroit Boat Club Crew in 1989. He went on to row varsity lightweight for Rutgers University and trained under Tom Teaharr, the current United States Women’s National Team coach. After Rutgers, Gentile coached in Boston for Brookline High-school at Riverside Boat Club before returning to Michigan and coaching multiple seasons for the DBCC.
Steve Ziemba was a competitive cyclist and du-athlete before taking an Adult Learn to Row class in 2005. He was quickly recruited to join the competitive Masters program the following year and has never looked back. Since 2010, Ziemba has overseen the summer adult Learn to Row and Recreational Rowing programs.
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Tanya Newman
Master's Coach
Tanya has rowed for the DBCC since 2015. Prior to moving to the US, she rowed for two different Australian clubs since 1988. She is an accomplished rower with wins at several elite championships, and masters nationals. She began coaching in 1997 and worked with juniors, open, and masters athletes. Tanya is a fully certified coach who strives for boat efficiency whilst working to make the DBCC masters program a strong, competitive, and fun place to be.
Al Bauer
Veterans/Adaptive Coach
Al Bauer first started rowing at the DBCC in 1963 while in the United States Air Force. Bauer raced at the World Championship in 1970, the first time they had Light Weight events before retiring from rowing 1978 to become the DBCC sculling coach. He returned to the sport as a master in 1985 and has gone on to win 50 National Championship events, 5 Master Worlds Golds, and one Head of the Charles. Bauer also started an indoor rowing program at the Detroit VA Hospital and organized the erg championship for the National Golden Age Games in 2016.