This year the HOSR has created two new trophies in memory of former Vesper coxswain and Coach Michael O’Gorman. On Sunday, the winners of both the Michael O’Gorman mens and womens high school eights (frosh/novice) will receive the inaugural Michael O’Gorman Trophies.
Michael, who lived from 1965 to 2018 and passed away last month at the age of 53, was a legendary coxswain and coach in the Philadelphia, Chicago and United States rowing communities. In honor of his strong connection to Philadelphia, his success at the Head of the Schuykill, and his devotion to high school sports, his friends and teammates named the trophies in his honor.
As a coxswain, Michael made the US national lightweight team 6 years in a row, from 1987 through 1992. He won medals at three world championships: a bronze at Copenhagen in 1987, a silver in Milan in 1988 and another bronze in Vienna in 1991. Michael also was deeply devoted to club racing. For roughly a decade, boats he coxed consistently won the championship lightweight eight races at Canadian Henley, the Head of the Schuylkill and the Head of the Charles. Michael’s boats also won the Elite Lightweight 8+ National Championship every year from 1986 through 1990, and again in 1992.
As a coach, Michael had an equally successful career at all levels. He was the Women’s Coach at Vesper Boat Club from 1992-1994, winning several national championships. After moving to Chicago in 1996, he co-founded the rowing program at Manley High School, an inner-city school on Chicago’s West Side. In 2000, he became the first coach at the fledgling Chicago Rowing Center, which went on to win numerous national titles.
Michael was known for his expertise on the water, his prowess when trading national team gear and, per several sources, his math skills. He entered his freshman year at Penn with a perfect 800 on his math SAT test. According to Ed Hewitt, who rowed in a number of boats with him, “Mike was so good at figuring out how fast a crew was going during seat racing based on time past all kinds of custom markers that he was banned by (Coach) Dave (Vogel) from saying anything other than stroke rates, as he tipped off everyone in the boat to exactly what was going on. His coxing was so good that he was banned from coxing.”
In addition to the Michael O’Gorman Mens and Women’s High School Eights (Frosh/Novice) Trophies, friends and teammates of Michael will be holding a memorial service for him at 7pm, Saturday October 27th, at the Irish Pub, 20th and Walnut Streets, in Philadelphia. Anyone who knew Michael is welcome to share in this celebration of his life and legacy.