About me
Born in Hamilton, Ont., Al Morrow was a rower for 11 years before he became a coach. He rowed at his hometown Leander Boat Club, Western University, University of British Columbia, and the St. Catharines Rowing Club. He was a member of Canada’s national team from 1970-76, winning a bronze medal in the men’s four at the 1975 Pan Am Games in Mexico City and ending his competitive rowing career as an alternate on the Olympic Team at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.Morrow’s coaching career began shortly after the 1976 Olympics when he was named head coach of the men’s rowing team at the University of British Columbia.Coming out of Leander BC in the mid-60’s he was exposed to a strong blue collar-type work ethic and this was a core value that was a characteristic of his approach to coaching. There were many people who were very supportive during his coaching career, but three people in particular were Jim Joy, Dr. Mike Murphy and Dr. Volker Nolte.After two years with the University of British Columbia, Morrow moved on to become head coach at the University of Victoria in 1978, which quickly became a national powerhouse, with eighteen past or present rowers becoming members of the 1984 Olympic team. His first coaching opportunity at the national level was in 1977. He was hired in a full-time coaching position in 1986 by Rowing Canada at the National Rowing Team Training Centre in Victoria and in 1988 he moved back to his home province to lead the Ontario based National Rowing Team Training Centre in London.Morrow became head coach of the women’s national team in 1990 and would lead the program to many successes until 2004. He coached at nine Olympic Games and under his leadership, Canadian rowers won a combined 15 World Championships and eight Olympic medals (4 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze). In addition to his national team duties, Morrow was head women’s coach at Western University and also led the school to historic success from 1988-2010.Morrow has been inducted into eleven Sport Halls of Fame including the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. He was named FISA Coach of the Year and received the Geoff Gowan Award for service to Canadian sport and the Meritorious Service Award from the Lieutenant Governor of Canada.In addition to wanting the athletes he coached to succeed, Morrow also wanted coaches to improve. Following great success on the international stage, he spearheaded a Coach Mentorship Program at RCA, to establish support for developing Canadian coaches with opportunities to improve their skills, knowledge and experience both on and off the water. As far back as 1990, he regularly encouraged young coaches, athletes and supporters to spend time at the training center and learn from not only himself but also the other coaches, staff, and through observation of the rowers in training.Morrow was always a tireless worker and carried a humble approach with him that inspired both athletes and coaches alike. Even in retirement from full-time coaching, Morrow has kept busy by teaching coach education courses, volunteering for many rowing-related activities, coaching high school and Masters and at summer camps. He was Rowing Canada's Technical Representative to the 2022 Canada Summer Games. In 2019 he was instrumental in helping establish the first coastal beach sprint races hosted in Canada.
