Harvard's freshman heavyweights are coached by Bill Manning, a 1987 Holy Cross graduate who will serve his 12th year on the Crimson staff in 2009-10.

Manning has directed the freshman to EARC Sprints medals in 10 of the past 11 years and to five Sprints victories (1999, '01, '02, '04, '08). The Crimson yardlings have also won three silver medals and two bronze medals at the IRA Regatta since 2003. In both 2001 and '02 the freshmen won the Temple Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta.

Manning served as an assistant coach with the U.S. Junior National Team at five junior world championships between 1997 and 2002 and coached the U.S. Men's Pair to Olympic qualification at the 2003 world championships. At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games he assisted varsity lightweight coach Charley Butt in working with former Crimson rowers Artour Samsonov '02, Henry Nuzum '99 and Greg Ruckman '96 in the pair, double and lightweight double. He directed the U.S. U-23 Men's Sculling program in 2006 and 2007.

Prior to joining the Harvard staff, Manning earned an Ed.M. in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard in 1998 and served as a counselor, teacher and coach at Buckingham, Browne, & Nichols School in Cambridge, Mass.