Charles Butt, Head Lightweight Coach, 1986-
After a brief but memorable career in business and a lengthy stay on the US National Team, Charley Butt came to Harvard. During his tenure here, he has established himself as one of the nation's preeminent coaches. His crews have won six varsity and five JV EARC titles, seven National Collegiate Championships, and competed successfully at the Henley Royal Regatta. He has taken US National Team crews to World Championship medal performances, coached the US Olympic Pair in the 1996 Summer Games, the US Olympic Lightweight Men's Double in 2000, the US Olympic Men's Pair, Double, and Lightweight Double in 2004, and most recently the US Women's Single (2008 Olympic Silver Medalist Michelle Guerette '02) since 2005.
Charley is also a family man. His young son
Charles is the fourth of that name, and perhaps will attain national prominence like his father and
grandfather before him. Charley also has little Emily, Eric, Sophie, and newly arrived Henry running around the house. Charley's father, Charles Butt, Jr., the head coach for 41 years at Washington and Lee High School, is widely regarded as the father of rowing in the Washington DC area. The senior Butt's progeny include our coach, 19 scholastic national titles, and one of the nation's fastest growing high school leagues. He will be remembered fondly for all three.
Charley enjoys considerable recognition within the international rowing community. As Andy Anderson (a.k.a. "Dr. Rowing" of the Independent Rowing News) recently said, he is "widely known and respected as one of the real straight-shooters and good guys in the sport."
Charley's oarsmen know him for his innovative technical approaches, his even more innovative metaphors, and his uncanny knack for finding ways to make them faster. A good deal of the rowing community has felt Charley's creativity, whether they know it or not: he forced the creation of the 'Butt Rule' at C.R.A.S.H-B's. (Ever wondered why you can't change the vent settings during your piece?)