James Harding - Men's Rowing Coach - Lehigh University Athletics

James Harding

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
jah510@lehigh.edu
Phone:
610-758-6614

James Harding enters his first year as an assistant coach for Lehigh. Harding brings a wealth of coaching and rowing experience from his native Australia. Before Lehigh, Harding served as Rowing Headmaster at Redlands School in Sydney. He was responsible for all aspects of coaching and administration for the program. Some of his key roles included developing a racing schedule and proposal for school administration, developing various training regimens, coordinating boat allocation and more.

“We are excited to have James join the staff,” said Conley. “His wealth of experience as an athlete and as a coach at many levels of rowing will bring the experience and depth of the program to the level we want. His positive energy and enthusiasm for the sport has already had a dramatic effect at the boathouse and will lead to some good freshman crews on the water.”

Prior to Redlands, Harding served as Trans-Tasman Tour Manager for Team Australia. He also has coaching experience with the Presbyterian women (located in Croydon, New South Wales), Sydney University and the Sydney Rowing Club.

At Lehigh, Harding will assist in all aspects of the Mountain Hawks’ program, with a focus on the freshman/novice crews.

“I’m excited about the move,” said Harding. “Lehigh is such a phenomenal institution with a wealth of sporting tradition and success, both academically and athletically. It will be a great experience for me and the student-athletes to be a part of the rowing program at Lehigh. The program has so much potential and I can’t wait to get started.”

Harding has had a very successful professional rowing campaign in Australia. Some of his many notable feats include serving as an Australian representative in the World University Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. He won Gold in the U23 Coxed Four as part of the Australian Nationals. He also won Gold at the NSW State Championships, in the Elite Eight, Elite Coxed Four and Elite Coxless Four.

Harding graduated from Sydney University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Education, specializing in Secondary: Human Movement and Health Education. He was awarded a rowing scholarship under the Elite Athlete Program.