The brand new rowing boat gleamed under the brilliant lights of EagleBank Arena on Saturday night, as did the face of the man for whom the boat was named.
Former Mason Rowing head coach Geoff Dillard could not stop smiling as he ran his fingers over his name adorning the port bow.
Joining Dillard at the halftime boat dedication were dozens of his former rowers, along with current Mason rowers and coaches and Assistant Vice President/AD Brad Edwards.
“When you get involved in rowing there comes a point where you know it will be a part of your life forever, and you always wonder if you will ever be able to give enough back to the sport to have the honor of having your name on a shell,” said Dillard. “I'm so grateful the alumnae gave me the opportunity to teach others about the sport that gave so much to me, and I hope the true spirit of this racing shell will give this gift to every athlete that rows in it for the life span of the shell.”
The impact Dillard had on his past athletes was evident in the sheer number of alumnae that returned to Fairfax for the event. Nearly 80 of them, coming from all over the country, attended the evening's dedication and corresponding dinner to honor a coach who taught them so much.
“Geoff's time at Mason pushed the team to new bounds,” said former Mason rower Allison Silver. “I hope that naming this boat after Geoff will encourage the team to reflect on what the coach, boat, the name represents: a great coach inspiring his team to do the unthinkable and be the underdog that succeeds.”
“Getting your name on a boat is one of the greatest honors in this sport,” said current head coach Ted Nagorsen. “And since it's rowing's equivalent to retiring a jersey in basketball, we thought it was really fitting to do the dedication at halftime at a basketball game.”
Dillard coached the Patriots from 2005 to 2013, where he led his squads to two CAA Championships, three Dad Vails medals, and a 4th place finish at the prestigious Head of the Charles in Boston. One of his rowers, Maureen “Mo” McAuliffe, received an All-American award during her time under Dillard's tutelage, and went on to earn a place on the 2011 U-23 National Team,
Dillard also received his MBA from the George Mason University School of Business in 2013.
Dillard was a major contributor to developing local rowing talent as well. From 2007 to 2009, he trained pre-elite rowers at the USRowing Development Camp at Thompson Boat Center in Washington DC, winning four club national championships and a gold medal at Canadian Henley.
After the basketball game, the celebration continued. Alumnae, friends and family packed into the Mason athletics themed Brion's Grille, where Dillard reflected on the more poetic legacy that the sport leaves.
“Rowing gave me teammates that would become friends for life, a work ethic that has made me successful in whatever I do, made me realize that I am stronger than I think I am, and to push through the hard times because the end goal is worth it,” said Dillard. “As I look around at the Mason rowing alumnae here today, I feel that I succeeded as a coach because I think they figured rowing out, and why our sport is so much more than a sport.”
The “Geoff Dillard” will make its at-home debut at the Occoquan Sprints on April 3, 2016.
