Pat Tynan enters his 17th season at the helm of the women's crew program at Wesleyan in 2025-26, where the team has gained speed and success at a national level in recent years.
In 2014, the Cardinals earned an NCAA at-large invitation as a team, while the Varsity 8 boat qualified for the national tournament the past three seasons. In 2016, the Cardinals’ V8 boat won bronze to become the first-ever at-large berth to claim a medal in the history of the NCAA Tournament. The success carried over into the fall, as Wesleyan won the Riverfront Recapture, the Head of the Charles and the Head of the Fish, respectively. The 2017-18 campaign saw first place finishes in the Head of the Riverfront Regatta and the Head of the Fish, while posting a second place finish at the Head of the Charles. During the spring, Wesleyan placed fifth overall at the NCAA Women's Rowing Championships. In 2019-20, the Cardinals won their third-straight Little Three title and finished fourth overall at the NCAA Championships.
Wesleyan repeated that success despite a significantly shortened 2020-21 season, as the Cardinals placed fourth at the NCAA Championships. The growth continued in 2022-23 where Wesleyan's 2nd varsity 8 boat was crowned champions of the National Invitational Regatta before the Cardinals captured a runner-up finish at the NCAA Division III Championships, earning the highest finish at the NCAA's in team history. In that race in 2023, Wesleyan's varsity 8 boat came from behind to place second, holding off Ithaca and Tufts for the best finish in team history at the NCAA Championships. Wesleyan back that up with another strong year in 2024, winning the Little Three Championship and Jennifer McLaughlin Cup in the regular season. The Cardinals went on to place third at New England's and the National Invitational and competed in the NCAA Championship where the team backed up its runner-up finish in 2023 with another runner-up result.
The 2024-25 season saw the Cardinals earn another at-large berth to the NCAA Championship, earning a bid for the 11th time in team history and ninth since 2014. The Cardinals finished in third place at the NCAA Championships, while the team also took second place at the National Invitational Rowing Championship for the first time in team history. Wesleyan also finished as the NESCAC runner-up for the first time. Another landmark achievement saw the Cardinals' 2V8 finish second overall, which marked that boat's best-ever finish at the NCAA Championship. That group tied a team record with five All-NESCAC performers while a pair earned First Team All-America recognition, another first-time achievement for the Cardinals.
Prior to Wesleyan, Tynan spent the 2008-09 season as the assistant men's lightweight crew coach at Yale University, where his freshmen crew finished third at the Eastern Sprints.
A 1999 graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he was an integral member of the varsity lightweight crew, Tynan began his coaching career as a men's assistant at his alma mater for two seasons before heading to Colby College from 2001-06. There he assisted with both the men's and women's programs, helping the women's novice crew win three New England Championships and two ECAC Championships. As interim head women's crew coach at Williams College in 2006-07, Tynan directed the Ephs to a New England and NCAA Division III title at the varsity eight level. Williams also captured a team title at the NCAAs in 2007.
Before joining the Yale staff in 2008, Tynan spent the 2007-08 season with a second stint at his alma mater, this time assisting with the women's squad.
A USRowing Level III certified coach and recipient of the Joy of Sculling Collegiate Coach of the Year in 2007, he continues to guide Wesleyan to be among the top teams in Division III. Tynan lives with his wife, Becky, and daughter, Alice, in Middletown.
