Next up In The Driver's Seat--where we hear from the folks who keep the shells straight and the crews fast—-is coxswain Dira Mahmud.

Dira coxes for MiddCrew at Middlebury College, where she has raced in both women's and men's crews. Now a senior, she got her start in the sport as a rower when she was a high schooler in Seattle, with Mount Baker and Pocock, but hopped in the driver's seat when she got to college. This week, Dira is headed to Oak Ridge for the ACRA National Championships, where she will be driving the Women's Varsity Eight.

Let's hop In The Driver's Seat with Dira:

row2k - Give us either your top 3 essentials for being ready on Race Day OR the 3 most important things to being a successful coxswain
Dira Mahmud - My top three most important things about being a successful coxswain tie directly to being prepared for race day!

The number one thing I advocate for is for coxswains to know how to row and to jump into a boat or on an erg every once in a while. Not only does it help you become a better student of the sport, but you can make more informed and intentional calls as a coxswain. I started out in this sport as a rower in high school, so I was fortunate to have that experience, but whenever I mentor a new coxswain, I always start by putting them on the erg.

At ACRAs in 2024

Number two is to be a sponge, and ask and absorb from whoever is willing to talk to you. This can be more senior coxswains, coaches, or even the rowers from your boat. This past summer, I learned from coaches at the U23 Development Camps at Rock Chalk and at Marietta College, and even just being surrounded by a different group of athletes taught me so much. It also helps with building confidence and adaptability, which is super important on race day when you’re sometimes improvising!

Lastly, if you have the opportunity to be in a consistent lineup, I would say building a strong relationship with your stroke seat is key for having a great boat dynamic. I like to call my stroke and 7-seat my "Board of Directors" and I consult with them on how the boat is feeling to get any feedback they might have. Of course, having a good relationship with all the rowers is critical, but dialing in on the person you see right in front of you can be immensely helpful. This is so key on race day: when nerves are high, having a solid trust and partnership with your stroke can help keep you grounded.

row2k - What is your favorite drill to run with your crews? Any tips on how to do the drill well, for maximum effectiveness?
Dira Mahmud - The first drill I run during both practice and race day is reverse pick. The rowing stroke is cyclical and every part relies on the others, but if I had to pick a point to start the stroke it would be the top quarter. This drill also allows the boat to think about the idea of "building" the back end of the stroke during the start sequence of the race when we lengthen out to the base rate.

At ACRAs in 2023

One training tip I was given by Thomas Phifer, a Midd alum and national team rower, was this: instead of stopping the boat and switching out fours, have the new set of four rowers pause at the release and then transition up to reverse pick. So, say I started with stern four, I would switch out stern pair for 3 and 4, then switch out 5 and 6 for bow pair, then have bow four pause at the release. When I say “row”, they would come up to the catch and transition to the reverse pick, starting with the top 6 inches. The pause at the release allows rowers to feel the run of the boat, and become more aware of how their body movement up to stern can disturb it if they don’t rock over together and with control. The top quarter with some boat run also allows rowers to understand how quick and light the catch should be, and is great practice to try and match the speed of the boat as they start "tapping along."

row2k - What's some of the best coaching advice you've received about your coxing?
Dira Mahmud - I am so grateful to have gotten coxing mentorship and coaching from Coral Kasden, who is also on the national team. She has been great in scaffolding parts of the race for me and explaining how modulating the voice can make good coxing become great coxing. She explained to me the ways in which bringing down your voice to a controlled hoarse whisper between higher intensity calls can make for more effective coxing during a race.

At NERCs in 2024 (photo thanks to Colin Borque)

row2k - What is a mid-race call or move that you've made that you'll remember for the rest of your life?
Dira Mahmud - I have two. The most recent one is from this past fall season at the Head of the Fish. I had to sub in to cox last minute for our M2V8+. It’s a tradition at that regatta to dress in costume, since it usually falls close to Halloween. I remember we were coming up on Hamilton, and I--dressed as a banana--was so amped up to take seats. I made a call for "hunting season" and we walked right past them to end up getting second overall! In the live stream, you could see us overtaking them, with my bright yellow self in the coxswain seat.

My second mid-race move has nothing to do with what I said, but more with my decision-making. At the Head of the Charles in 2024, we were about 20 meters from Weeks, with Williams coming on the starboard side. I had no room to yield my line as we were being sandwiched between them and an abutment. As we came under the bridge, my port side blades were a kiss away from the abutment, and starboards were weaving perfectly with Williams’ port oars. As our starboard oars went in, their port oars went out. It was the most stressful yet beautiful thing I had witnessed on the water in a long time.

At HOCR in 2024

row2k - Can you tell us anything about what you've learned about coxing a land practice or erg tests?
Dira Mahmud - Erging is so personal, and so I have found it is best to understand which rowers don’t want to be coxed during their erg tests versus those who don’t mind it. I also always take the winter season to work on my own fitness, because if there was one thing I remember from my time as a rower, it is that I had much more trust and respect for coxswains who did workouts with us.

row2k - Tell us about the best race/practice you've ever had?
Dira Mahmud - ACRAS 2024 MV8+ C/D Semis. It was such a fever dream, and we were hanging alongside 4 other boats the entire time. It was stressful, fun, and I was so dialed in. When we had come through the line, no one knew how we placed because of how close all the boats were. We ended up in 2nd, but it was a crazy photo finish. In my opinion, those are the best types of races.

Another tight finish at the 2024 ACRA for Dira and her crew in the C Final

row2k - How about the worst race/practice you've ever had?
Dira Mahmud - NERCS 2025 WV8+ PF. The wind was insane. [Ed. note: this was a regatta where racing was cancelled just three races later]

We had a false start and had to re-stake the boats again. And if anyone is familiar with the course in Worcester, that bridge can be a crazy wind tunnel. We were in lane 5, with WPI on our port side in lane 6, and although it looked like a battle between the two of us, it was really us versus WPI versus the nasty headwind. During the last 20 meters of the race, we both got hit with an egregious blow, and I swore we came to a dead stop for a split second. The last 20 meters also felt like 100 meters.

Thanks for riding along with Dira...and, remember, this column is open to all "drivers" out there, so if you are an experienced coxswain at any level--from juniors to masters--and would be willing to invite row2k to join you in your ride, just contact us here. We’d love to hear from you about what you see from the Driver's Seat.

At NERCs in 2025 (photo thanks to Colin Borque)