Delos "Dutch" Schoch

Princeton's Assistant Crew Coach 1938-1942

Princeton's Crew Coach 1946-1965

Delos "Dutch" Schoch graduated from the University of Washington in 1936 and rowed on the crew, serving as an alternate for "the Boys in the Boat" at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

Shortly after graduation, Schoch became the assistant crew coach at Princeton.  In early 1943, Princeton curtailed many sports including rowing citing the fact that most of the coaching staff had enlisted and could not be replaced.  This included Dutch who served in the Navy from 1942-1945.  Upon his return in 1946, Dutch became the head coach at Princeton.

Schoch training methods improved the Princeton crews, going from one win in his first season to 7 wins by his third season.  After a defeat by Harvard using the European system, Schoch introduced the same methods to the Princeton crews.   This was a more efficient movement that combined the stroke, recovery, and catch into one motion.  He and Harvard's coach were among the first to use this system in university rowing.

He was well liked by his crews and they gave him the nickname of "the flying Dutchman."  In 1953, the class of 1952 donated a shell and named it in his honor.

In fall 1965, Schoch stepped down as coach on the advice of his doctors.  He had suffered a heart attack that summer.  He then assumed administrative duties in Princeton's Department of Physical Education and Athletics.  He would return to coaching, but not on the water.  He became Princeton's golf coach and in 1969 the team won the Eastern Intercollegiate Golf Association Championship.

He passed away in 1970 at the age of 56.

In 1971, he (posthumously) and the other members of the 1936 Olympic crew were inducted into the Rowing Hall of Fame.  The Rowing Hall of Fame also introduced the Dutch Schoch trophy that year to be awarded to the winner of the annual dual race between the University of Washington and the University of California, Berkeley.

Sources about Schoch:

The Boys in the Boat by Dan Brown

Men's Crew History 1930-1939, University of Washington

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