Power 10: Ten Questions with US Men's Sweep Coach Mike Teti

The following interview, with Mike Teti, "former freshman coach" as he was termed on the Internet last year on rec.sport.rowing, and currently coach of the World Champion US Men's 8+, was conducted by row2k editor Ed Hewitt at Princeton's chic Pizza Star, apres-practice romping grounds of rowing stars. Send questions and comments on any of our features to [email protected]. If you want to be notified of future row2k features, send your email address to [email protected].

---

1. I heard you had a conversation after the heat with your former coach Kris Korzeniowski, and that he said you had made your point, you had a fast crew against all expectations, even though they had faltered at the end of the race.

Teti: Actually, we were having an argument over who had the tougher rep. We had Germany and Canada, who were 1-2 in Lucerne, so I figured, that's the tougher rep, right?

I was pissed, because I knew that the problem was technical. Kris thought we had gone out too hard, but I knew it was technical, that something went wrong, and it wasn't fitness. The guys didn't look exhausted after the race, they were OK. So it was something technical.

2. What did you do about it?

Teti: When the guys came down to the course that afternoon, we talked about it, and someone said "All I remember is that the sprint was really complicated." It was a structural problem; I thought that, since they were young, they needed to go this many strokes, then take a 10, then up two, then this, then that, you know how that goes. I knew I had to change, and I decided that we had been too focussed on getting to certain cadences, and not on moving the boat.

Instead of taking up the rating, I just asked them to commit to a power 10; you don't take a 10, you commit to moving the boat. And at 250, I asked them to take the hardest 15 of their lives; the boat HAS to go faster. So we rehearsed it, two times on each trip.

In the rep they had a slow start, and I was thinking, from the 250 to 1750, they're as fast as anyone out there. If we could have rowed into the race, they would win. (laughs) And after the rep, there were three days until the final, and I had them row twice every day. And we did two times 250 on every row, a first 250 and a last 250, working on the ends of the race, because the middle was solid. We didn't really taper, but they were going 36 and a half, 37 seconds on these 250s; I figured they could handle it, they wouldn't blow themselves out in 37 seconds.

In the final, when I saw their bow get away with the rest of the field, I knew we had a medal. I didn't know we would win, but I thought we had a medal.

3. Watching the race, at what point did you think they could win?

Teti: I thought they could win after the 1000, but that's because I knew what was coming. I knew what their move was. "The Americans have no speed."

(Ed. Note: in a highly publicized interview, the German coach was asked about the field prior to the Worlds. When asked about the US crew ("And the Americans?"), his response was "The Americans have no speed.")

I told Cipollone (the coxswain) to save it for the right moment, to watch the Germans, and not to call a ten; I didn't want any counting. It's a commitment, not a 10; coaches who have worked with me know I always say that. So Cipollone called it, "On this one, the Americans have no fucking speed."

4. I looked at the splits, and the US crew had the third fastest split for all four 500s, yet ended up in first at the finish line.

Teti: I thought they were second in the last two, but it doesn't matter. If you look at those splits, the field was incredibly close. You might have the third fastest split, and you go 1:20.20, while the fastest goes 1:20.12; those are the actual numbers from the final, I think.

I don't look at splits. No one looks at splits from the 1750 to 1250 you don't race on 500s, you race your way, the only way you can. I'm not that analytical about the splits; I want to watch the race. It helps me that I'm not as analytical about it, I think, because you don't get confused and start changing things because of the times.

5. Are there any longterm effects of winning the World Championships?

Teti: It has a big effect on the guys; now a guy like bobby Cummins, or Sebastian Bea, Wherely, or even a guy like Phil Henry, they have confidence, they think, hey, I'm OK, I can row and have fun and do well. More than anything major, it makes it easier to keep going. Some guys might get some financial support from the USOC, so maybe it gets a little easier for everyone to keep working hard.

6. Do you think that, internationally, the awareness of the US has changed, that crews are after you now?

Teti: I try to put myself in other coach's shoes (speaking as such): "We were a half second out of first place." If I were the Russian coach (the Russians finished sixth), I'd say, they (the US 8) had to have a perfect race, and they're only a length ahead." They're all great coaches, and they'll go home and try to improve their boat a little, and they're gonna win.

7. It was a fast race; was anyone surprised by the pace?

Teti: People are looking for a post-Olympic slump, that the field is weak. I've gone back and looked at the tape, looking for wind, and it was flat. Very little wind. And all six crew were under 5:30; I think the Russians went 5:30.6. When's the last time you had five or six crews under 5:30, unless there was a big wind? There were no shitty crews out there. Canada was eighth, and that's a good boat. Of course, they doubled up, and it probably hurt them.

8. What's the training plan now?

Teti: The normal fall stuff; we row in the morning, and they train on their own in the afternoon. These are great guys, they're easy, they're into working out. Guys like Phil Henry, Ben Holbrook, John Gibbens, Kurt Borcherding, they'll be down there (at the boathouse) anyway. Other guys, when they're off, you don't see them. That's okay.

The November erg coming up is important, because there are a limited number of spots here (in Princeton), and it's competitive. Everyone's thinking, "if... pick a guy, any one of those guys... can win a medal, I can win a medal." And I want them to think that, because they're right! They're right.

We had committed to development, just focussed on dvelopment all year, so I figured if we made the final, it was good. That goes all around; Hartmut made the final with all new people, and that's good. So when they made the final, I was really, really happy.

These guys were carrying on after the race, and I think it was genuine. They're young and psyched, and it was an emotional race, they raced with emotion. But I had a lot of faith in them, because they hadn't done anything slow all year. I preach consistency; it's the most important thing to me, and I never had a crew that wasn't on the medal stand. Some days we would set them up to go slow, and they never did.

So I knew they could do well. When they won, I was elated, but not stunned. All six boats could have won; some people think there were seven boats there that could have won. (Note: the Dutch crew placed seventh)

9. Do you think that the performance at Worlds will help the US get past some of the divisions that have plagued the national team effort?

Teti: I realize my limits. We have really good athletes, and really good coaches. Not to work with guys like, any of these coaches, would be suicide. We cannot win without all these people. A guy like Charlie Butt, who worked with Adam and Ted, two of our best athletes, he just had a chemistry with them that worked really well.

The important thing is that the American Team does really well, and anyone who can help do that is valuable. The team concept and unity, we proved that when we work together, we do well. I always say, there's a piece of the pie for everybody. And I'm indebted to them for all their work (rattles off the entire men's coaching staff) Charlie, Gavin White, Curtis (Jordan), Andy Card, Joe Murtaugh, Chris Clark, Scott Roop, every one of them. I try to find coaches who are different from me, so I can learn from them.

10. What's your current 6K?

Teti: I'll break 19:20. Last year I went under 19:10, and if I'm close this year, maybe I'll do it at the November test. There's probably too much going on, but I'd row the piece if I could.