Head Coach Scott Armstrong

Scott Armstrong enters his 4th year leading the Minnesota Men’s Crew. The past three seasons showed that Minnesota had arrived as one of the top programs in the country. The 2024 varsity eight defeated Notre Dame, Michigan, Rutgers and George Washington in April racing, and was ranked as high as 3rd in the country. The third varsity eight won the bronze medal at the 2025 ACRA Championship. With strong novice classes the past three years, Minnesota will be contending for medals this year. Armstrong was named Plains Region Coach of the Year in 2024 and has been elected Treasurer of the ACRA board.

Scott returns to the Midwest and college coaching, bringing over 20 years of coaching experience. He was grabbed out of the freshman registration line at Brown University by the freshman coach and convinced to try rowing. It was a good thing that coach was so persistent, as Scott ended up winning championships in the Brown varsity, including the Eastern Sprints, IRAs and the Henley Royal Regatta in England. Scott brings the same persistence to the rowers at Minnesota.

When civil engineering seemed a dull career after college, Scott took the job as freshman coach at Dartmouth College. Four years later, he was coaching the varsity to their first Eastern Sprints and IRA championships. Over the next 14 years, Dartmouth heavyweight crews were consistently top 10 in the country, winning more medals and a victory at the Henley Royal Regatta. He was named EARC Coach of the Year two times.

Scott stepped away from college coaching in 2005 to move to northern Wisconsin to raise his 4 children. When his last kid went off to college, Scott got back into coaching as the masters coach at Saugatuck Rowing Club in Westport, CT. He led the team through the pandemic and won the women's points trophy at the 2022 US Masters National Championships.

To reach out directly, email scott@coacharmstrong.com

Novice Coach Steve Whicher

Steve’s first year as novice coach was a smashing success, with his top eight finishing 4th at the ACRA National Championships, just 0.25 seconds from a bronze medal. His lightweight novice four won the bronze. In 2025, his two novice eights place 4th and 6th in the country. Steve combines outstanding technical and physiological knowledge to train a team of walk-ons to race at the highest level in one year.

Steve has been involved in the competitive sport of rowing since being a high-school freshman in St. Catherines, Canada.  During the 1980s Steve competed with the Thunder Bay Rowing Club, University of Victoria, and Ridley Grad Boat Club. Competitive highlights include winning the Men’s Single, Dash Single, and Cox 4 at the Canadian Club Championship. Steve was a perennial winner of the Men’s Sculling events at the Northwestern International Regatta. Canadian Henley victories include the Men’s Double and Men’s Quad. As a Master’s rower Steve found success again competing for the Minneapolis Rowing Club. 

Steve has coached since 1990 in the Twin Cities - at the Minnesota Boat Club (MBC), Minneapolis Rowing Club, and at St. Thomas University. Last summer he returned to MBC as a competitive program coach. Over the years, under his supervision, crews and athletes have won medals at the NWIRA, US Club Nationals, Canadian Henley, US Olympic Festival, Head of the Charles, and at the Dad Vail regatta.  An undergraduate degree in Physical Education, and a PhD in Exercise Science provides a strong foundation to help guide young rowers to achieve their highest potential.  

Assistant Coach Mike Nicholls

Dr. Michael Nicholls has lived the life of a college instructor, rowing coach, business consultant, and experiential educator. An economic geographer by training, his combination of unique academic and business skills has been tested through his work in the corporate and governmental environments. He has taught leadership development at the university undergraduate, graduate, and executive education levels, holding adjunct appointments at 16 business schools around the world. Michael is the author of The Inspirational Leadership Workbook: A Practical Guide to Leadership Development.

Michael received his B.S. in Political Science and Geography from the University of Minnesota in 1986. While a student, he also rowed for the Men's Crew and served on the Recreational Sports Board of Governors. He would later return to Minnesota to coach rowing from 1995-2002 and to teach in the Leadership Minor from 2012-2013. Since 2024, he has been assisting with the varsity program. Michael also serves on the Friends of Minnesota Men's Crew board.

He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Economic Geography. Michael’s service and commitment to teaching, student life, inspirational leadership, and the sport of rowing were recognized in 1998 when UNC named their boathouse in his honor. He claims all aspects of his professional life intersected in 2016 when the building’s name first appeared on a Google Map.