Dr. Vaclav Kacir was named Stanford's women's rowing assistant coach in September 2007 and is entering his fourth season with the women's rowing team. Kacir comes to Stanford from Columbia University where he served as the Freshmen Lightweight Coach. He also served as an assistant coach with the U.S. National Team in 2007, and served as coach of the Women's Four which won a gold medal at the World Championships in Munich, Germany.
Kacir coached Stanford's II Eight to a bronze medal at the 2009 NCAA Championships as well as to a silver medal at the Pac-10 Championships.
Kacir's work with the II Eight played a crucial role in helping Stanford capture the first team national title in school history in 2009, and for his efforts he was named Division I National Assistant Coach of the Year and the West Region Assistant Coach of the Year by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA).
In 2007-08, Kacir led the II Eight to a bronze medal at the Pac-10 Championships in his first year with the team.
As a coach at Columbia University, Kacir's 2007 freshmen Coxed Four won the Eastern Sprints. His Eight placed fourth, finishing the season with a record of 8-4. He also coached the Varsity Pair to a bronze medal at the IRA National Championship. In 2006 his Freshmen Eight finished third at the Eastern Sprints with a season record of 8-2; and his Freshmen Four had a perfect season of 11-0.
"I am very excited for the opportunity to become a part of the Stanford Women's Rowing Team," Kacir said. "I look forward to working with some of the best student-athletes in the country at one of the finest institutions."
"Vaclav's experience as a college and elite level coach fits perfectly at Stanford where our team is comprised of a smaller group of high-level scholar athletes," Farooq said. "He understands how to teach and support at a top academic institution, and that makes him a good match for this team and coaching staff."
As an international coach, Kacir coached Slovakian lightweight men's sculler Lukas Babac to a silver medal in the M1x at the 2008 European Championships in Athens, Greece. Prior to that, he guided the U.S. Men's Lightweight Quad to a silver medal at the 2006 U-23 World Championships in Belgium. He also coached the Slovakian Men's Lightweight single that won a silver medal at the 2005 U-23 World Championships in Amsterdam. In 2004, he was an assistant coach for the Slovak Republic Olympic Team. He was the head coach of the Slovak Junior National Team in 2003 and was named Slovak Coach of the Year for his crew's fourth place performance at the Junior World Championships.
Kacir attended Komensky University in Slovakia, where he received his master's degree in sports science. Furthering his education in Psychology and Political Science, he attended Masaryk University in the Czech Republic. His interest in the physiology of rowing brought him back to school and in 2009 he received a doctorate in sport science.