Andrew O'Dea

Wisconsin's Crew Coach 1895-1898, 1900-1906

Harvard's Crew Coach 1899

Andrew O'Dea was a professional sculler (a member of the Yarra Yarra Rowing Club in Melbourne) from Australia, who came to the U.S. in 1894.  He became a coach for the Lurline Boat Club (later the Minnesota Rowing Club) and in February 1895 was hired away by the University of Wisconsin.

O'Dea  would be one of the first full-time coaches at Wisconsin and increase interest in the sport as well as training the crews in a new stroke, the "kangaroo stroke."  His first year as coach was highly successful with one victory against the Delaware Rowing Club and a near victory against the Minnesota Boat Club.

Under O'Dea, Wisconsin crews would travel to compete against Eastern crews, beginning with a race of the varsity against the Yale freshmen in 1896.  The trip to row against Yale proved how well the Wisconsin crews had improved under O'Dea as they lost by only a half-length.  They began competing in the IRA in 1898.  In order to send the crews East, the student body fundraised to cover any expenses as the crew budget was not large enough to cover long-distance travel.

After seeing Wisconsin's performance against Yale, Harvard hired O'Dea to be head coach in 1899.  He spent one year at Harvard, found he did not like it, and returned to the University of Wisconsin in 1900.  This would be the year that Wisconsin had its first victory at Poughkeepsie, winning the 2 mile freshman race.

In subsequent years, Wisconsin would not win any races at Poughkeepsie, though they began competing in more contests including the Varsity 4 race.  

O'Dea became increasingly frustrated with the funding situation as fundraising for the crew was not as successful as in the past.  His chief complaint was the lack of a coaching launch at Poughkeepsie.  A generous donation by a Wisconsin congressman seemed to resolve the problem, but the launch was not purchased.  Coach Charles A. "Pop" Courtney kindly invited O'Dea to share his coaching launch at Poughkeepsie in 1906 as they were quartered on the same side of the river.  They coached their crews out of opposite sides of the launch.

But long before this, in March of 1906, O'Dea had tendered his resignation citing the lack of funds and facilities, and the 1906 Poughkeepsie Regatta would be his last.

Sources about O'Dea:

Wisconsin Where They Row: A History of Varsity Rowing at the University of Wisconsin by Bradly F. Taylor

"Rowing...At the University of Wisconsin" (1903?)

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