Lucas W. McGee '97

From 2012–17, he served as head coach for the U.S.A. national team, coordinating the U.S.A. Men’s 8+ Olympic training. Under his leadership, the team won four World Cups medals, one World Championship medal and finished in fourth place at the 2016 Rio Olympics. At the same time, McGee was team coordinator for the U.S.A. Under-23 Team, which clinched gold at the 2012 Under-23 World Championship.

In 2001, McGee graduated with a bachelor's degree in urban studies from Brown University, where he helped his team capture the 2000 Eastern Sprints championship and the Henley Royal Regatta Ladies Plate championship. Team captain in both in 2000 and 2001, McGee was also named Academic All-Ivy during the same years.

In 2002, he earned a master's degree in comparative social policy from Oxford, where he helped the Oxford team beat Cambridge in the 2002 Boat Race.

We caught up with McGee on the heels of his hall of fame induction and as he settles into his new role as women’s rowing head coach at Syracuse. A complete listing of his achievements are below.

The summer after LA, I rowed in the U.S. Junior National Team. We raced at the Junior World Championships in Belgium with a second place finish. My wife, Portia, was on the women's team, and that’s actually where we met. She is a two-time NCAA champ and rowed in the 2008 Olympics—a much better rower than I ever was!

At Brown, I rowed on the U.S.A. Under-23 National Team twice. I won the Under-23 World Championship in 1999 and finished third in 2000. While at Oxford, I rowed in the 147th running of the Oxford–Cambridge Boat Race. The only time it was stopped was for World Wars. I rowed on the U.S. team in 2001, 2002 and 2003 when we won the World Championship in the men’s cox 4.

I tried for the Olympics in 2000 and 2004, but when that didn't pan out I started coaching. My first gig was at Brown coaching freshman from 2004 to 2007 and then at the University of Washington from 2007 to 2012. In the summer of 2012, I coached the winning U.S.A. Men’s Under-23 Team in Lithuania. From November 2012 to 2016, I was one of two U.S.A. men’s Olympic coaches. We coached the U.S. Olympic men’s 8+ through Rio, where they finished fourth.

In June 2018, I was selected to lead the Syracuse women’s rowing program. My family and I made the move to New York, and I am thrilled to take on this new challenge.  

I moved to Lincoln Park from the suburbs of Connecticut one week before I started high school. I had to take the train to Loyola, which could take up to 1.5 hours to get to school, so it was an adjustment at first. This was also just before the Loyola went coed. But I can say with certainty that I met my lifelong friends in that first year at Loyola.

I played basketball and lacrosse on East Coast, so I had anticipated doing the same at Loyola. Randomly, my dad and brother said I should try rowing. I jumped on a rowing machine during my lunch period one day and loved it. At the time, Loyola was the only school in a three-hour radius that had rowing. So it was a chance opportunity that fell into my lap and totally opened doors for me. Being able to row at Loyola in high school was a massive opportunity.

Loyola’s motto resonates in my life through coaching and the opportunity to work with young adults at a pivotal moment in their lives. As college students, they are moving away from home and making a big step up. But I always say that coaching for me is about more than just the rowing. It’s the opportunity to work with people and at this level...there are also social, academic and personal components. I find it super rewarding to see my athletes grow as individuals. It’s really special to see them achieving what they want to achieve.

Coaches Jim Calto and Scott Lindley introduced me to sport. They gave me the opportunity to be a part of it and that was huge. They set me on my path for the love of the sport.

Mr. Jim O'Loughlin ’62 shared with me his love of English and his dynamic personality. Coming from a public school in Connecticut, my freshman religious studies teacher Mr. John Rosenberger impressed with me his passion for the subject, and I couldn’t help but get engaged. Mr. Daniel Seeberg ’75had a phenomenal ability to connect with students on a level that got us switched on. The ability to teach difficult authors like Faulker and get students excited is a true gift. Fr. Hurd taught ethics, and he focused on the whole student outside the subject matter.  

Personally, my family and I just moved to Syracuse, New York. In the past two months, there’s been a new home, a new job and a new baby so were getting settled. My wife, Portia, and I are enjoying watching our girls, Nora (8), Rosie (5) and Hazel (10 weeks), grow and find new activities that excite them, from swimming to ballet to art. We’re trying to make sure that we find time to be together and enjoy these moments.  

Professionally, of course, I’m excited to work with the Syracuse women’s team and push with them to be as fast as they can be.

Lucas McGee—Achievements