Bergman to head crew program

One day after the announcement of the resignation of controversial women's crew head coach Carol Bower, athletic director Steve Bilsky announced major restructuring in Penn's rowing program. Men's heavyweight crew head coach Stan Bergman will now take over the entire Penn crew program, including the men's lightweight and women's squads. "He's really considered one of the best rowing coaches in the country," Bilsky said. Bilsky said the restructuring -- in which three full-time and three part-time coaches will assist Bergman -- should relieve some of Bergman's administrative duties. Bilsky also said the athletic department considered student input in its review of the crew program -- but he did not directly link the women's crew team's protest to the restructuring. "There was a lot of input throughout the course of the year from crew athletes in terms of the program and what they were looking for," Bilsky said. Bilsky added that he believes Penn is the only university to implement this type of coaching structure -- and this move could put Penn's crew program into the "vanguard" of schools, according to Bilsky. "I think he'll set the policy to the program," Bilsky said of Bergman. "He recognizes that all three programs have differences as well." Bergman enters his 13th year at Penn at the helm of a men's heavyweight team that finished in first place at last spring's Eastern Sprints and a women's squad which, under Bower's tenure, failed to finish above fifth place in its league's regional championships. In a meeting with Bilsky on Nov. 14, 1995, the women's crew team accused Bower of being ineffective and asked for her resignation. Bergman will be assisted by full-time coaches Angie Herron, Larry Connell and Bruce Konopka and part-time coaches Marc Massey, Andy Metcalf and new arrival Jennifer Sanford.

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