SEATTLE - The men's rowing program is excited to bring in three new staff members and one new position for the 2016-17 season.  They are joining a staff dedicated to providing student-athletes with the best support in collegiate rowing.
 
Alex Mann, 2015-16 intern, was hired as the third assistant coach. In addition, joining the men's rowing staff this season are, athletic trainer Steve Mosher-Stockinger, strength and conditioning coach Blair Wagner, and team intern Sergio Espinoza.
 
Here is a little bit of background about our new staff members:

Alex Mann – 3^rd Assistant Coach
Mann, a Bend, Ore. Native, was the UW men's intern last season. Mann came to the UW after a year as a volunteer coach with the Princeton lightweight men. In 2013-14 he completed the Advanced Certificate in Rowing Leadership at the Institute of Rowing Leadership at Community Rowing in Boston. He volunteered at Boston University with the heavyweight men as a part of the program.  Prior to attending the IRL Mann coached for two years at his alma mater, the University of Puget Sound. He also assisted at the U.S. Junior Men's Sculling selection camp, helping to select the single, double, and quadruple sculling boats representing the U.S. at the 2014 Jr. Worlds in Hamburg, Germany.

Mann graduated from Puget Sound in 2011 with a degree in International Political Economy. He rowed for four years and was named team captain 2009-11.  During his collegiate career at Puget Sound, Mann won three NCRC Championships in the varsity eight and received all-conference honors in 2011. He earned multiple community and service awards. Off the water, Mann enjoys cycling and woodworking among his many talents.

"Coaching for Washington has been a dream of mine for a long time. I look forward to working with the full team. There is a complete outfit of people behind the scenes who make the program run every day.  From the training staff to the janitors, everyone is dedicated to doing their job very well. I could not be happier to be in the Pacific Northwest in the best rowing city in the country."

Steve Mosher-Stockinger – Athletic Trainer
Mosher-Stockinger comes to the west coast after spending last year as the athletic trainer for Syracuse University athletics and their national championship winning field hockey program. There he worked in conjunction with the strength and conditioning coach to develop an in-season regeneration program for their athletes. At the same time, he oversaw the graduate assistant athletic trainers for SU's softball and men's crew teams.
 
Before his time at Syracuse, Mosher-Stockinger was the assistant athletic training intern at the University of California Los Angeles. At UCLA he specialized with the softball team as well as men's and women's cross-country. Mosher-Stockinger oversaw the daily supervision of shoulder maintenance in addition to creating nutrition and fitness goals for individual student-athletes.
 
Prior to working at UCLA, Mosher-Stockinger was the graduate assistant athletic trainer for the Cal State Northridge baseball team. There he developed wide-ranging rehabilitation protocols for the student athletes that included injuries like Tommy John and labral repairs.
 
After studying at the Postural Restoration Institute, Mosher-Stockinger is SFMA and FMS certified in functional movement screens for all sports.
 
"I take an individualized and open minded approach to the care of my student athletes and thoroughly enjoy doing my best to put them in a position to succeed. Through my professional and academic experiences, I have been able to cultivate a quality and diverse skill set that should integrate well with Husky Crew."
 
Blair Wagner – Strength and Conditioning Coach
 
Wagner, a native of Cheyenne, Wyo., is entering his second season with the University of Washington Olympic Sports Strength and Conditioning Department, but first with the men's rowing program. He currently oversees men's rowing, softball, women's tennis, and track & field (throwers). During his time in Seattle, Wagner was fortunate enough to serve as the Head Strength Coach for the WNBA's Seattle Storm during the 2016 season.
 
Prior to his arrival at the UW, he spent nine months training the United States Army, 1^st Special Forces Group, Green Berets, in Tacoma, WA. Before arriving in the Pacific Northwest, Wagner spent four years with Eastern Michigan University, honoring three of those as Head Sports Performance Coach. An assistant strength and conditioning coach at The Citadel from 2007 - 2010, the 32-year-old Wagner completed his master's degree in Exercise & Sport Science from The Citadel Graduate College in August 2010. His first full-time opportunity was in the fall of 2007, where he was hired on with the College of Charleston. Prior to arriving in Charleston, S.C., Wagner spent a short time as a volunteer strength coach at the University of Nebraska Kearney.
 
Wagner attended the University of Wyoming and obtained his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and Health Promotion while working primarily with the Wyoming's football and strength and conditioning programs. Wagner holds certifications from the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, National Strength and Conditioning Association, USA Weightlifting, National Academy of Sports Medicine, Precision Nutrition, International Youth and Conditioning Association and is currently completing EXOS Performance Coach Certification.
 
"Being named strength and conditioning coach for this program was not only a huge honor but something I have secretly wished for since my arrival at Washington. The history, tradition, and prestigious nature of this team will make me a better coach. I'm always searching for opportunities to grow and develop personally and professionally. Coach Callahan, his staff and the athletes who make up this team will aid in that next challenge in my career.  I look forward to not only developing these athletes physically and mentally, but aiding in their development as men, future fathers, husbands, and leaders in our community."
 
Sergio Espinoza – Team Intern
Espinoza joins the UW men's rowing program after spending his summer
as an intern rowing coach for the US Junior National Team where he assisted with camp logistics, led video accumulation and dissemination efforts, and coached small boats.
 
Espinoza spent the past five summers coaching at the River City Rowing Club in West Sacramento, California. There he coached junior high and high school students who now compete at collegiate rowing powerhouses such as Washington, Harvard, and Brown.
 
Espinoza, like Mann, spent four years on the University of Puget Sound rowing program where he was a three-year captain of the men's varsity team. In addition to rowing at UPS, he earned his B.S. in Exercise Science and served as president of his fraternity during his senior year.
 
" Washington Rowing is the standard for all rowing programs across the globe. From the historic Conibear Shellhouse, to the unparalleled commitment from Alumni and the Seattle community, Washington Rowing is truly one of a kind. I'm honored to be a part of this community and look forward to developing fast boats and even better people".