This is no ordinary Olympic year. The Americans, who haven’t come close to winning a global medal since they made the podium in Beijing in 2008, finished eighth at last month’s regatta in Slovenia and failed to secure a spot at the Games. If they don’t win the last-chance qualifier in Switzerland in May, the Yanks will miss the marquee event for the first time in five-ringed history.
That would be unthinkable for a country that won the gold medal at every Olympics from 1920 through 1956, using college crews exclusively. So the call went out to Teti, the first coach to direct the US eight to the medal stand at successive Games since Cal’s Ky Ebright in 1928 and 1932.
“From my perspective, Mike’s one of the best eights coaches in the world,’’ said McLaren. “To have him on board is only a positive.’’
Nobody who has pulled an oar will dispute Teti’s credentials. He was the first person to be enshrined in the National Rowing Hall of Fame as both a coach and athlete. His US eights won seven world medals, four of them gold. He went to a school - St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia - that is far better known for basketball than rowing, yet he made a dozen national teams, earned a world title, and was bowman of the 1988 crew that won the first Olympic medal against a full field since 1972.
Who better to jump-start the eight?
“Hopefully, we can get this boat qualified and go from there,’’ said Teti, who was back pulling an oar yesterday in the Head of the Charles for his annual reunion row with his 87 Gold seatmates, who finished sixth in the master eights event without a practice run.
What makes this assignment different is that Teti already has a full-time job with a high-powered collegiate program and that he won’t be the main man.
“I’m very conscious that Tim’s the head coach,’’ he said. “What I didn’t want to be was the outgoing coach who was some kind of imposing figure in the background.’’
