Ep. 48: Head Men's Crew Coach Brendan Cunningham

The Voice of the Owls Kevin Copp discussed all things Temple men's crew with head coach and alum of the program, Brendan Cunningham. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:05

Hi everyone and welcome back to the Alpod, the official podcast of Temple Athletics. I'm Kevin Kopp. My guest today is Temple Men's Crew head coach Brendan Cunningham. Brendan is a 2010 graduate of Temple University and a four-year letter winner on the men's crew team who won races in the Dadvale Regatta, Mayor's Cup, Murphy Cup, Bergen Cup, Connect Cup, among others. His coaching career has included stops at Washington College, Yale, Penn, and Drextel before finally returning to his alma mater as head coach of the Temple Men's Crew program in 2023. In the years since, Cunningham has guided the Alves to their first varsity eight win in the Dadvale Regatta since 2021, a trip across the pond to the prestigious Henley Regatta in England, named 2025's IRA Comeback Team of the Year, and the coaching staff led by Cunningham was named 2025 IRA Coaching Staff of the Year. With the 2026 season just now underway, there is no better time than to catch up with men's crew head coach and Temple Zone, Brendan Cunningham. After this quick word from our AlPOD sponsors.

SPEAKER_00 1:05

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SPEAKER_02 1:41

So there are novices that are truly just picking it up for the first time, but you There are, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:45

No, we had I had prior experience before getting to Temple. Um all my brothers had rode, and it was something that I got into through the high school team. It was a great kind of development um team program, and being able to go out there and and um you know find a sport, find a sport, and then be able to do it at the college level was something that was um pretty pretty special. Pretty special. And so that novice year was yeah, so the way rolling works is there was three categories at the time. There was varsity, junior varsity or two V, and then freshmanate, right? And at some point in that time, I can't remember, I think it might have been oh eight, it switched to it went varsity, second varsity, third varsity. So now freshmen could compete up in the varsity level at the national championship. And so it it used to be uh you'd have your varsity, you'd have your second varsity, your J V, and then you'd have your freshman eight. And so for that first year I competed on the freshman novice squad. And so that uh I guess that first bio would be Sears. That was like the uh the big is it S-I-R-A? Yeah. So that was Sears. So that was going down and uh competing down in Oak Ridge, Tennessee with that four, and we won. And you know, that was kind of the the first race. We're like, whoa, like we could we started out with a freshman eight, and just through different steps along the way, we came to a quick four, freshman four. And so it was uh three other guys and a coxswain who uh had come into that freshman year, and interesting enough, uh for any alums, rowing alums listening, uh Pat Ellis was the coxswain whose dad had cocks a temple. Oh wow under Gavin White. So it was really cool. It was cool to like uh looking back on it, it was cool at the time. He was Pat, you know, so it's like you didn't really make that connection all the way through. But no, it was um it was a really cool, really cool experience.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

Now, where were you in the pecking order? You said your brother's road, where are you in the family pecking order? Oh, I'm the youngest.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

Okay. Yeah, yeah, I'm the youngest, and so it was uh, you know, it like um to be even before high school, getting every Saturday, Sunday was going to a rowing race, right? And you were going down there, and so like I was familiar with the rivers, familiar with the sport. I hadn't done it yet, couldn't wait to try it when I got old enough, you know, picked it up that first year and just stuck with it um all the way through, and just you know, getting faster. That's what's kind of uh fun with the sport, is it really is about what you put into it, is what you get out of it, right? So learning the basics, very fortunate there, like being able to be in a program where it was competitive, right? And so like you're going out, and even though like it looks like we only race six times out of a year, yeah, every practice can be a race if it's a specific day for that workout. And so there's just so many opportunities there if you're just thinking about it, six days a week, you know, just you're racing, you're racing, you're competing, you're competing, you're competing, you're competing, right? And all the way through, what was interesting there was I think we have practice early now with the temple team. As high schoolers, no, it's a 445. You know, like you're going out on the river and they're sending kids out in the, you know, it's it's uh there's not a lot of light out there, right? And you're going out and you got, you know, high school athletes going out there and just the responsibility and accountability of steering those eights, you know, with those coaches next to them, all the way up and down the river. You know, you learn you learn a lot of things pretty early on that like, hey, we gotta uh we gotta make this work. We gotta, you know, and you're getting off the river by seven, and then you had to be at school by 7.45.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

I was gonna say our schools, our high school started at 7.32. I remember, you know, I had that time etched into my brain forever. That was the first bell of 732 class at 7.35.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

So yeah, you gotta be early. Yeah, the first 90 minutes of that practice, it was uh it was pretty dark outside, and then you got to see the sunrise, you know, and it was uh it was cool. No, but it was a it was a really good place to develop and find the sport and get a lot of strokes in and learn to compete.

SPEAKER_02 5:56

Well, and I I assume was Bonner for your family chosen big uh it's rowing is still not a common, even in a relatively rowing rich area that we are here in Philadelphia. Now, I was lucky, I grew up in King of Prussia. Upper Marion was a public school that had a rowing team, and we hosted a regatta, and so that was always uh for me not as a rower but as a broadcaster, that was like the highlight of my year. I get to call a regatta, it was so unusual and so interesting, and so I really developed the love for the sport through that. But was Bonner chosen with the idea that I mean, again, you're not gonna be able to go and do this everywhere. It's not like soccer or football where every school has a program. Is that kind of what led you there? I think it was Bonner happened to have rowing.

SPEAKER_01 6:37

That's where I went to school. Yeah. Uh I don't think I was traveling anywhere else to uh I think that was the place I was going and it happened to have rowing. And, you know, luckily for me, my brothers got into it, and you know, it was a chance to uh continue, you know, kind of what they were doing. And so it was cool. It was, you know, uh again being on the weekends, seeing the stuff, you know, and then being able to try it when I got the chance. You know, I think it was really cool. And credit to those coaches, right? Like they're also waking up, you know, that early to to kind of um you know, it was a passion for them, you know, and it was something that they wanted to do and they were doing it day in, day out. The one coach was a US Olympian and his brother were coaching as well, and then there were some Bonner alums that were also helping out with the program and helping it through, and it just coming back to those, you know, you just learn a lot of things. Like you would learn a lot of things at school, and then you would learn a lot of things on the river, you know, whether coming up short on some days or how to deal with, you know, um a situation as far as like competitive situation, like what happened there. Like it is a it still is a team sport, and being able to take athletes at the beginning of the year uh and getting them all to row the same so that by the end of the year, you know, they're they're in a spot where they can compete and a spot where they can win um, you know, is is something that makes it uh a special experience.

SPEAKER_02 7:58

How do you come to choose Temple? I imagine, you know, obviously you have great roots here in in the city in the area, but you know, how does Temple emerge as as the spot for you?

SPEAKER_01 8:08

I didn't choose Temple, Temple chose me. Right. And so that's uh you know, at the time it was Pete Gergo, who was the coach, you know, and he was recruiting, you know, and coming out and saying, hey, he he wrote a temple, he wrote a bonner, he wrote a temple, you know, and he um you know came out and said I think it would be a really good fit, you know, I think you should come down and give it a look and check it out and see the school, you know, and there's a lot of advantages there to, you know, staying closer to home uh in state, right? And so uh being able to stay on the school was special, you know, parents being able to come down, watch the racing, right, knowing what it is in the city of Philadelphia. You still have Boathouse Row right there, right? You're familiar with the course. Um went to the Fox School of Business, right? So they had the major I was looking for. Um so I really think it was uh it was a good fit and it was what I was looking for. Um and shout out to P K Ergo for uh for coming out to that practice and and talking a little bit about Temple.

SPEAKER_02 9:05

Well, what was the experience to kind of this brings it back to basically where we started. So you you join, you have great success in that uh freshman four novice four boat, uh uh Sierra's Cindy Cup at the Dad Vales, you move up to 2v8, you move up to the varsity eight. I mean, just by the kind of biographical markers, you have a great four-year undergraduate career here. What was your enjoyment of it? What was, you know, kind of what stands out to you in your time those four years here in the program?

SPEAKER_01 9:31

Yeah, no, that's that's great. And um, you know, going working under Gurgo in that first year and then moving up and being able to work with Dr. White, you know, and just like um, you know, you just going out and just like you still remember the practices, some of the races, but more so just going out and being able to compete and being able to, you know, where do we sit on the standard? Where is it? Where are we going on this? Am I able to improve from the last time I did it? Um as far as standout, I think, you know, always Dad Vales was a special uh regatta for us, right? And so it's always kind of working towards that, and where do we match up? How do we kind of get through there? But I think um one of the ones that stood out was San Diego Crew Classic, my senior year, and just uh you know, just perseverance all the way through from getting from Philadelphia with a group of individuals all the way out to uh to California to race. You know, I think it um it really was like kind of um like just now being on the other side with logistics, now I see like that is it's not always smooth sailing, but you always gotta have an X plan. And I think um, you know, that was Gavin was a great coach, but then also being able to instill like um you know, you always gotta have a plan, always gotta have a plan of action for for what's next.

SPEAKER_02 10:55

Did you always at that time have in the back your brain, you said you went to the Fox School business, what was the kind of uh career trajectory? Did you always have coaching in mind? It seems like hearing you now, you have a very philosophical approach to what the sport is, what the sport can do for people, both you know, as athletes and as people, was that always kind of somewhere in your mind in terms of what would be there after college for you?

SPEAKER_01 11:23

I think Temple led to a great opportunity to get an education, right? And and along that way, I was able to pair that with rowing, right? And so like those two things at the time are pretty important academics, athletics. I'm able to do these two. These are things that I really enjoy. Coming up, you know, the kids on our team right now, they call it the J-word. Do you know what the J word is? Job. Job Job. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The seniors are calling it the J word. You know, they gotta they gotta start working towards that. So my senior year, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do. I I I didn't coaching wasn't on like, is that what I'm gonna do? Like, where do I wanna go? And so my brother was coaching at a women's program, and he said, get a grad assistant. And I was like, what is that? What is that? So I look into it, right, and start looking around, and there's one in a uh a school in Maryland I hadn't heard of before, right? And so looked into it a little bit further and um found that that was a place that I would like to go down and explore this coaching and you know, furthering the education piece. And so um went down there and and it just happened, went down there, and the guy that's down there was the guy that wrote the book on boat rigging, rowing rigging, right? I don't know, can I say his name? Or yeah, Mike Davenport. Yeah. Nuts and Bolt's Guide to Rigging. Or uh yeah, Nuts and Bolt's Guide to Rigging. And so it was um when you're when you're an athlete, right? Like you're you're you're doing the rowing piece. There's a lot of moving parts, right? You don't get into the rigging too much, right? And so going down there, kind of like, all right, there's the you have a an understanding of the rowing, right? And now it's like well, there's all these other moving parts that you can make adjustments for the rowing, right? And so learning that aspect was really interesting under under Mike, and just you know, he was very much into professional development. I think at the time he had developed US rowing's um coaching conference, and so he was very much into like um more learning, like always learning, always learning, always learning. Like you don't know everything, like keep going, like be a sponge, just absorb as much as you can here. And I think that was uh pretty important for the the time there, just being able to absorb and like learn from here. Even he um small school in Maryland, you know, he hosted a coaching conference, and that's how he got a lot of coaches down to his program to check out his school, you know, and so like they'd go back to their home programs and be like, hey, go check that place out, right? And so it's um it just it reminded me at the time. I was like, Temple used to do a coxswain clinic, right? And so like it would you would get all these coxswains from all over the area, like you knew to go, Temple has this coxswain clinic, and that's something we want to bring back. You want to bring back the the uh the coxswain clinic that Dr.

SPEAKER_02 14:05

White hosted every year on Temple's campus, and and that's something well you could see what the benefits would be to kind of making your program the hub of this thing, and I mean what an experience. I mean, you just kind of hit the jackpot, it sounds like as a G A. Not every graduate assistantship is set up to really put you in the position for success the way that one is. So is it from there? I mean, it's right on to Yale is next. Is that correct? That's true. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

So it was it was got the grad assistantship, you know, that that was uh, you know, taking some classes, and then but being able to um, you know, really go all in with the rowing piece was cool, but I I I was like, all right, if if I'm gonna do this, I want to see what it's like at the top level. What is it like at the top level? And uh got in touch with uh coach at Yale and can't pay you. Like, great, I'll be there in August. I'll be there in August, I will figure it out, right? So then it's like you're going up there and again just being a sponge, like just learning, just learning, just being able to be in the room and hear the conversations and hear um what are they saying? You know, how does he like Steve Gladstone is one of the best collegiate coaches, and so being able to learn from him, being able to learn from Sam Baum, who at the time was the recruiting coach, and then also being able to learn from Joel Scrogan, you know, like just all three of those guys working together and how they build a team, how they build the confidence of the athletes up. Um, you know, again, the logistics side, right? Like you're doing a lot of the logistics, which is great, because then you're like in it, then you're like, all right, this is how it kind of operates all the way through. And so um, yeah, figuring out bar backing and then, you know, uh volunteer coaching on the other side, you know, and I just it was a great year experience, and I got to the end of that year, and I was like, okay, can I turn this into a paid gig, right? And so then I started applying places, and that's how I ended up at Penn.

SPEAKER_02 15:56

Yeah, and uh you don't leave Philadelphia since, which is pretty uh good good work if you can get it. You can pump all the pen. For folks that don't know. I mean, when you talk about top of the top, the Ivy League is as competitive uh rowing conferences there exists in the comp I mean you're you're Well, there's the Pac-12. Yeah. Pac-12's competitive too. Yeah, but yeah, they're uh you're talking about particularly on in the eastern seaboard, this is as high a level uh as as it gets.

SPEAKER_01 16:23

And so you get from from and I misspoke it's not the Pac-12, I think it's the uh mountain sports Who knows now?

SPEAKER_02 16:29

Yeah, yeah, that one. We continue to realignment hit the.

SPEAKER_01 16:32

There are teams on the West Coast that are that have some speed as well, so we just want to make sure we don't For sure.

SPEAKER_02 16:36

For sure. But I mean you're getting an you're getting an education here going, Yale, Penn, and then uh obviously getting the opportunity to to spend as much time as you did at Drexel and to really be a part of taking that program to unprecedented heights. I imagine just you know, kind of picking up pieces along the way that are that are eventually leading you to to this opportunity to come back here to your alma mater.

SPEAKER_01 16:58

Yeah, yeah. No, I at Penn it was um you know being able to learn under Greg Meyer, and then going on and you know being able to learn with uh Brandon Schaal, you know, he was one of the other assistants at Penn, and you know, being able to just work there and just see him recruit, and that was the big thing. And um, and then going over to work with Paul Savell, that was an awesome experience, you know, being at Drexel. And um, you know, I think that was another piece. We're just learning how to communicate to the athletes, you know, and and uh yeah, eventually leading to being being at Temple, which was great.

SPEAKER_02 17:28

Yeah, what was that kind of process like for you? I mean, obviously this kind of feels like on paper a dream opportunity, it's your alma mater, uh, to be able to step in and and lead this program, uh, just you know, kind of take me through I know I think you and I had the chance probably for the first time to sit down together either on the day you were hired or or shortly thereafter. So, you know, just kind of what that uh opportunity felt like to kind of see that come your way.

SPEAKER_01 17:56

Yeah, I think um, you know, it was it was humbling. It was humbling very early on. Like uh, you know, I remember being sitting in Gavin's office, going through video and and from a practice, and then you know, coming back to that moment, being hired, and then sitting in that same office, you know, it was kind of like a full 360 uh moment and just being able to be like, okay, this is you know, this is I was an athlete here, you know, and and how do I um provide a great student athlete experience? And so I think taking that all in was uh pretty cool. Pretty cool. I think it's a good way to put it. And and it was just, you know, it's such an honor to serve as the head coach, right, at the program that you once wrote at, um, and being able to work with some really great guys, you know, being able to work with Dan Gettner and Scott Waters and you know Bernard Fox, and so I think it's just been it's been a really cool experience um to try and put the pieces together in place to set the team up for success.

SPEAKER_02 19:01

I think one of the really interesting things, this topic comes up a lot on this podcast, and I think you're in a particular position to speak to it because you were a student athlete here. You are now back decade and a half later, give or take, as a head coach, and in that time, college athletics has transformed, temple athletics has transformed, and particularly temple crew and rowing have transformed as well. I mean, when you were here as a student athlete, I'm sure part of the appeal in its own way was there was no boathouse at that time. You guys are rowing out of, you know, under tarps, and you know, it was it was gritty. I mean, it was tough. Um, and I'm sure that was part of what you guys wore as a badge of honor and an ethos that kind of instilled in the program. And we do have a lot now. We the boathouse has been renovated and reopened, and it's a it's it's a a jewel there on this Google, and just everything is so different uh in terms of I I don't you know, and I'm just wondering how you can kind of explore the tension between those two things of we still want that toughness and that edge, but we're in a different era now, um, and how you've kind of bridged that you know divide between you know looking back on your experience here as an athlete and and now as a coach.

SPEAKER_01 20:18

Yeah, yeah. No, and I I think a lot ties back to Dr. White, Coach White, you know, just being able to have a next plan. And so you're right. In my time here at school, the the boathouse was condemned. We were moved to tents that were on the side yard, right? And so um, you know, being outside, we didn't know the difference. It was like, this is what we're doing now. And Coach White was like, this is how we're gonna do it. We're gonna make it work, you know, and just continuing to make it work. And um, you know, we were outside, we're there, and then um you know, we it's not about the boathouse, it's not about the the boats that you have, it's not about it's about the people. And I think we try to remind the guys now, even like um, you guys have a great facility here. You have one of the best facilities on the river, right? And then you also have an on-campus facility. And then you have Rashawn with the strength and conditioning coaches downstairs working with you three days a week, you know, and so you have a great athletic training system here, right? And so, like being able to work with Jabree and Spencer in the athletic training room, and then being able to go over and work with Reed in the Resnick Center, right? Like there are so many support resources here to be the best student athlete you can be that it doesn't hinge on a facility, right? And so I think being able to instill those values into the athletes and just remind them that like we are Temple crew, and the reason we are who we are is the the athletes that came before, the guys that are here now, and we're looking to you know continue to write the next chapters of Temple Crew history.

SPEAKER_02 21:49

Well, you have certainly done that. I want to make sure I get everything right. Uh you know, Dadvale uh champions, first time since twenty twenty one, IRA comeback team of the year, IRA co. Coaching staff of the year in just a a few short seasons, I mean you have really been able to make a mark and produce some incredible results. And I'm I'm wondering, just kind of in terms of what you've been able to uh to bring to the program from a recruiting standpoint, a development standpoint, you and your staff, uh just what has led to the success that we've been able to see in in your three seasons so far here at Temple.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

Yeah, I think it uh a lot of the credit goes back to the athletes and the coaching staff, right? And so the assistants play a huge part in making all this possible, and I think the athletes doing their part and you know, really going out and executing every day. And I talked to this with alums, like it takes those guys from the top down, right? So when last year we won the varsity, we won the second varsity, we meddled in the third varsity, and we won the freshman aid, right? And so it took every single one of those guys in there to come every day and bring their best, not just for themselves, but to get the best out of their teammates. And I think Dad Vale's was a result of that action uh all the way through the year, and not just on that day in May.

SPEAKER_02 23:04

Well, and that's back to the point you made earlier, is it's you know, I I look at crew as kind of the the iceberg theory. We see the tip of the iceberg, right? Are those six races and you know, probably less than, I don't know, 40 minutes of cumulative race time in the qu it defines your entire season, and that's what gets in the record book. But the 99% that's under the sea floor is you have to be approaching that with the the rigor and the intensity and the dedication that that clearly this team does to be able to kind of shine when we all get to come out there in May when the weather's beautiful and get to see the fruits of your labor.

SPEAKER_01 23:40

Yeah, you're welcome to come out and practice uh 6 a.m. Monday through Friday. Anyone?

SPEAKER_02 23:45

I that would have been daunting at an earlier stage in my life, but now having two young kids, I'm like, six down's great. Late start to the day. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. I'll be on my third cup of coffee by then. Um one of uh this is just more for my curiosity. I I've had the privilege of I've never had another job outside of working in college athletics, and I've gotten to do a lot of things, but probably I I don't know if it's at the top, but it would be very close to the top of my personal bucket list is the Henley regatta in in England. And just for folks that don't know what it is, I'm wondering, because you've had the chance now to uh to to lead Temple there and and have what I imagine has to be, you know, it's gotta be the closest thing to like getting to compete at the Masters if you're a golfer, uh, is is I assume that's what it's like from from a crew and rowing perspective.

SPEAKER_01 24:34

Yeah, from from an outside perspective, the best thing I can put it towards is like it's it's almost like the town in England where it's held, it's called Henley, is a small town, Quaint, Quaint town. And it just it turns into a college town for a week, and then during that week races play out in different categories all the way through, and I think I think it's one of the coolest experiences you can do as a student athlete to be able to now outside like IRAs is great, right? That's sure that's your national championship that's your national championship. Like that holds all the way. That Vale's great experience. Henley, being able to, as an athlete, being able to go over internationally and compete, representing your university on a world stage against other university athletes from other countries, other schools, other parts of the world. Just all of those fabrics being weaved together into one event is pretty cool. And then you get to the logistics piece, right? Like all those teams are coming in, the boats have to get there, the doors have to, you know, like all that stuff, but that's separate. But from a spectator standpoint, I think anyone that has the opportunity to go check out the um Henley Regatta as a spectator should do it. Um, you know, and I think it's something to strive for as an athlete. You know, if you have a fast boat, it's a great chance to go over and test yourselves against the best in the country, I think is another way to put it. And so, like, outside of Henley, you know, the the next area where some of our athletes would be able to do that would be at the U-23 World Championships, right? Like college-aged individuals going out and racing in the summer races and then uh you know, kind of using that as a stepping stone if they pursue it further beyond that to the you know, trying to make um a national team. But that's like further down the line. But as far as an experience, you're right. It is the probably the closest. I've never been to the Masters, but like last year we took a team there, right, and with the support of the athletic department, um you know, there were some support staff that came along as well. And that was really cool for them to see too, because I think you hear about it, but until you actually experience it, does it actually change your perception of wow, this is like this is like a uh a big time deal. Exactly. I think that was really cool. And and I've never been to the Masters, um, but someone that was in the travel party was like, this is like this is similar to the Masters. Like this is, you know, everyone's here, they're watching what's going on, you know, there's a um there's a element of you know, everyone gets dressed up, they go to the race, like they're it it they do a really good job. Shout out to the Henley organizers, they do a great job with it.

SPEAKER_02 27:32

Yeah, where it's really just in the fabric of the city and the culture itself. I think there's only a few events that really break through in that way, and it's really cool that your sport gets the chance to be one of them. So, with all that said, obviously tremendous 2025 season. Uh we're sitting here, by the time folks listen to this, the 2026 season will have just gotten underway. Uh just tell me a little bit about what excites you the most going into this year, obviously trying to continue that momentum.

SPEAKER_01 27:59

Yeah, no, it's uh it's led by a great group of seniors. Uh we've uh, you know, being able to build off that Henley year, we have some of those guys returning to this year's squad. So, you know, like if you finish your season, Dad Vales, you go to IRAs, and then being able to train to Henley, right, and then they get about a a two-month break, and then being able to pick it right back up again in September is another really cool experience that's part of that Henley trip. So uh some of those guys are back this year and some of them are a top boat, you know, and we're looking to continue um continue, you know, where we left off. And I think that boat last year, that was a special group, you know, and they set the bar high, you know, and I think being able to come in and looking to match those benchmarks, you know, and then again just coming back like every year is a new year, right? We can't rely on last year, and so looking to make sure that we're uh we're doing the best we can every day, coming back to the talking to the guys about, you know, bringing your best so it brings out the best in your teammate, you know, and just helping to make everyone as fast as we can be and put them in the best position possible to succeed.

SPEAKER_02 29:04

Now no secret that this was an unusually uh harsh winter. It's nothing that we haven't dealt with in the Northeast, but I actually read by some measures it was the worst since 09, so you probably back in your time as a student, I don't remember that winter in particular, but that's what I heard most snow, most ice uh in a decade and a half. So I we talked with uh Rebecca Grabowski, women's rowing head coach, a couple weeks ago in the program and obviously talked about the effect that that has when you're not going to be able to be physically out on the river in the same way that you would normally or hopefully be. How has that been kind of both a pro and a con in in some ways? How has that affected the kind of ramp up into the season?

SPEAKER_01 29:42

Yeah, I think kind of the compass is WWGD. What would Gavin do, right? And so just be able to do it. It's a good compass. That's that's gonna solve most problems for you. Yeah, Dr. White, being able to operate, what would he do, right? And so like he would make the most of it, right? He was very good at like, hey, we're gonna we're gonna erg, right? We don't have options there, right? We're gonna erg, we're gonna run Walkman Towers, right? We made the most of that time. You know, the river may not have been open, and I think the guys, you know, they really uh they went all in on it, they leaned into it, they were enthusiastic through that process, you know, and I think it's paying off with guys hitting PRs, you know, and and some of these guys have rode for multiple years and being at their top speed right now as we're about to get into the season is you know, is uh pretty cool testament to the work that they put in. So yes, the river was frozen. I haven't seen it frozen like that, and I can't remember, right? And so it's uh you know, we made the most of the time that we did have, and and again, back to temple and the resources that are available here, right? Like we have an on-campus training center. If it's frozen outside, we can train on campus, right? And and you know, being able to uh, you know, get the job done.

SPEAKER_02 30:51

Well, I think there's something always really special about having temple alums as coaches and being able to, again, just to carry the legacy of Dr. White and everything that he meant, and I was privileged to to have the chance to to meet him a few times in in my early years working here, and I just uh, you know, I think keeping that legacy alive, uh, some of the the kind of founding fathers of Temple and Temple athletics in a way, and uh so you being one of those, uh I think it's you and uh Coach Salmon at fencing and uh Coach Quinn in golf are are holding down that Ford as as Temple alums. And uh I think it's always just uh a real treat to get to hear your passion for this place and obviously being able to uh to have success uh in the program both as a student athlete and as a coach, and we wish you all the best moving into 2026. Yeah, yeah. And I was a fan too, right?

SPEAKER_01 31:42

Like uh a highlight of being a coach here is you get free tickets, right? So we're going to all the football games, right? I I don't think I've missed a football game yet. We're going to the basketball games, men and women. So shout out to those coaches, you know, and those athletes as well, you know, like as a proud alum, going to those games, you know, and and supporting the athletes, I think, is uh is one of the the other perks of being in this job and being an alum. So go Al's. Absolutely. Thanks so much. Awesome. Thanks.

SPEAKER_02 32:11

All right, that's this week's episode of the Al Pod. I want to thank my guest, Brendan Cunningham. A reminder the 2026 season is only a week old, plenty of action still left on the river. The Connect Cup at the Cooper River is April 11th and 12th. Dadvale Regatta, Friday, May 8th, and Saturday, May 9th, also at the Cooper River, leading up to the IRA National Championships, which are in Sacramento, California, the final weekend in May. A reminder, David and Amelia will be back on the Tuesday edition of the OwlPod with an all new episode. Make sure to check that out. Anywhere you get your podcast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube, Alsports.com. You name it, we've got it. New episodes twice a week. Check us out on Instagram at the Owl Podcast. Want to thank our entire AlPod team, our executive producer Dan Lopez. I'm Kevin Kopp. Thank you all so much for listening, everyone. Goodbye, and go out.