Captain Rick Smith enters his 32nd season as head coach beginning in 2017-18 school year, a position he has held since 1986.
Throughout his lengthy stint as head rowing coach, Smith has seen several hundred Maritime student-athletes compete successfully as members of the team. As the team competes at some of the most prestigious events throughout the nation during the fall and spring campaigns including the Dad Vail National Championship Regatta held in Philadelphia every May.
Within several years of taking over the rowing program, Smith led the team to a silver medal performances at the Dad Vail Event in 1988. During his tenure, his teams have also collected five gold medals at the event, and also one gold medal at the San Diego Crew Classic. As a coach, his success did not go unnoticed as Smith was named the 2004 Dad Vail Coach of the Year.
In addition to coaching at Maritime, Smith has previously assisted other programs throughout the area including Fordham University, St. John's University and the United States Merchant Marine Academy crew teams. During the 1999-2000 school year, he also served as the head coach of the Cold Spring Harbor High School crew team in Suffolk County on Long Island.
Smith is no stranger to the Maritime program as he competed as a four-year member for the crew team, and served as captain of the team during his senior campaign.
Smith graduated from Maritime with his Bachelor's Degree in Meteorology and Oceanography in 1981, while also obtaining his Third Mates United States Coast Guard License.
Following his graduation from Maritime, Smith served several years as a Merchant Marine before returning to Throggs Neck in 1986 as an officer on the Training Ship Empire State. In 1999, he began his duties as Master of the ship, a position he still holds today.
