John Pojednic joins the Stanford men's rowing staff after spending the past 21 seasons as the head coach at Northeastern.
"This is huge moment for Stanford Men's Rowing," said the Farwell Family Director of Men's Rowing Ted Sobolewski. "Adding a coaching position to our staff will have an incredible and lasting impact on the experience of our student athletes. I would like to thank Bernard Muir and Brian Favat for making this possible, and all of our alumni who have helped to fully endow the current resources of the program, enabling us to begin adding resources like this position."
Pojednic's crews have made seven IRA Grand Final appearances in the Varsity Heavyweight 8+ and 14 EARC Grand Final Appearances in Varsity 8+ with four podium finishes. He has also coached and developed four Olympians and mentored two assistant coaches who are currently Division I head coaches. Pojednic has also coached 12 oarsmen to compete in international competitions with five earning places on FISA World Championship teams.
"I feel incredibly lucky to have John on our staff," said Sobolewski. "Not only are we adding an additional coach, we're adding one of the best coaches in the country. John has been a mentor, colleague, and friend of mine for almost 20 years. Over that time, he's had a huge impact on my life personally and professionally, and I know he will do the same for our student athletes at Stanford. Having someone with John's ability and experience here is a testament the type of people who are drawn to this university and to the opportunity we have to build one of the best programs in collegiate rowing."
In 2019, Pojednic co-founded the Intercollegiate Rowing Coaches Association which is devoted to supporting and developing intercollegiate rowing. The organization established a platform for coaches to advocate for student-athletes, promote the sport at the youth and collegiate levels and support the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movement.
As an undergraduate, Pojednic was a member of the lightweight rowing team at Boston College. After graduation, Pojednic coached at Boston College and Riverside Boat Club. He moved to Stanford with his wife, Rachele. Outside of rowing, Pojednic enjoys cycling, sailing, or stealing a ski day. He is also a certified outdoor emergency care technician and a member of the national ski patrol.