Paul Savell - Director of Rowing/Head Men's and Women's Coach - Men's Rowing Coaches

Photo by: Greg Carroccio/Sideline Photos

Paul Savell

Title:
Director of Rowing/Head Men's and Women's Coach
Email:
pjs59@drexel.edu
Phone:
215-895-2030

Paul Savell enters his fourth year as the Director of Rowing for both the men’s and women’s rowing teams. In 2025, he resumed his role as Head Coach of the Drexel women’s rowing team, where he is set to begin his 19th season. Since joining Drexel in 2007, Savell has led the Dragons to unprecedented national success at some of the most prestigious regattas in collegiate rowing, including the Henley Women’s Regatta, Henley Royal Regatta and Dad Vail Regatta.

The Dragons earned more gold throughout the 2024-25 season. Drexel won the men’s title for the fourth consecutive season, as both programs won the overall title in back-to-back seasons. The Women’s Varsity 8+ won gold at the Regatta for the second straight season. All five Drexel boats reached the Grand Finals with the 2V8+ also winning gold. The Men’s Third Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+ also took home the top spot on the podium as six boats earned podium finishes.

The women’s team won gold at the CAA Championships for the first time since 2022. The Dragons placed second overall at the Championship as three boats finished top-three. The Varsity 4+ captured gold, giving them their first win at the event since 2019 and handing Northeastern their first loss at the CAAs in three years. Earlier in the year, the Varsity 8+ raised the Lela H. Kerr Cup for the seventh consecutive season. Individually, Jaelyn Walsh, Fiona Steele, Baylor Henry, Taylor Powell and Ellen McCallin were named All-CAA. The men’s team ended the year with the varsity 4+ earning a 12th place finish at the IRA Nationals. Andrew Manns was named to the 2025 IRCA Athlete watchlist to begin the season.

During the 2023-24 season, the Dragons continued their winning ways by capturing the overall title at the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta for the first time since 2018, with both Varsity 8+ teams capturing gold. The men’s program, under Head Coach Matt Weaver, took home the men’s championship at the Dad Vail for the third consecutive season. They were also the first team in 23 seasons to win gold at the Dad Vail three straight seasons. At the IRA National Championships, Drexel closed the year with a 15th overall finish with two boats finishing in the top-16 nationally. The women’s team raised the Lela H. Kerr Cup for the sixth consecutive season under Katie Lane, winning the trophy 16 out of the last 21 years competing at the Kerr Cup. The Women’s Varsity 8+ capped off the season at the Henley Royal Regatta, qualifying for the Island Challenge Cup for the first time. Josh Diggons was named an IRCA Second Team All-American as Damian Lis received an Honorable Mention. Julianne Rogers and Chloe Speciale were also named to the All-CAA team.

In 2022-23, Drexel continued to make strides with the Varsity 8+ turning in its best ever performance at IRA Nationals. DU also won its second consecutive men's points title at the Dad Vail Regatta, an event that included gold medals for the V8+, 2V8+ and Novice 8+. The Dragons made their presence known early nationally, winning their races at the Head of the Charles Regatta and Head of the Schuylkill Regatta in back-to-back weeks before a top-10 finish at the Princeton Chase. Holding steady in their home waters, Drexel won its second consecutive Kerr Cup and took home the top spot among Philadelphia schools with a Bergen Cup victory.

The Dragons had a banner year in 2021-22, winning every major Philadelphia region cup, capped by sweeping the V8+, 2V8+, and 3V8+ at the Dad Vail Regatta to claim both the men’s points title for the first time since 2015 and the overall points title for the first time since 2018. Drexel also won the Murphy Cup, Kerr Cup, and Bergen Cup. The Dragons performed well on the national stage as well, tying their best finish ever at the IRA Nationals and placing second out of 39 boats at the Head of the Charles Regatta where DU was one of only three boats to finish the race in under 15 minutes, rowing in Lois Krall II.

The women's team enjoyed success throughout the season, including its best ever finish at the CAA Championships, tying for first place with three student-athletes earning All-Conference honors. The Dragons performed well both locally, winning the Kerr Cup and Kelly Cup, and also nationally, besting some of the top competition in the country at the Sunshine State Invitational. The Novice 8+ won gold at the Dad Vail Regatta, helping Drexel to the overall point title. Also achieving in the classroom, 12 members of the team were named CRCA Scholar-Athletes.

One of the biggest accomplishments for the team came in 2021 when alumnus Justin Best was named to the men's 8 team that represents the United States at the Tokyo Olympics.

Despite competing in only spring events in 2020-21, Drexel still made its mark, achieving the men's best ever finish at IRA Nationals and winning two gold medals and two silver medals at the Dad Vail Regatta. The women achieved a second place finish at the CAA Championships and just the second ever gold medal for the Varsity 8 at the Dad Vail Regatta. In the classroom, 12 members of the men's team were named IRCA Scholar Athletes.

Savell has been honored on multiple occasions for his team’s successes on the water and his contributions to the rowing community. In spring 2019, Savell was named the CAA Coach of the Year following the women’s two gold performances at the conference championships. In fall 2017, Savell was selected as the USRowing Fan’s Choice Collegiate Coach of the Year and honored at the organization’s annual Golden Oars Awards Dinner. In May 2015, Savell became Drexel’s first-ever recipient of the Dad Vail Coach of the Year Award, also known as the Matt Ledwidth Award. At the 21st Annual Joy of Sculling Coaches Conference, Savell was named the 2013 Men’s Collegiate Coach of the Year. In the fall of 2012, Savell was named the Schuylkill Navy Coach of the Year selected by collegiate, high school and club coaches throughout the Philadelphia region. He has also coached two CRCA All-Region 2 First Team selections – Marina Forster in 2015 and Kendall Wenzke in 2017 – as well as Drexel’s 2013 John Semanik Award winner Lorenzo Albala.

The Dragons have had unprecedented success at the Dad Vail Regatta, winning the overall team title eight times, including Drexel’s first ever in 2013. The Dragons have also won the men’s title seven times (2013, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025), including four straight from 2022-25. The women have also won the title twice (2017, 2018). The Dragons won the coveted men’s varsity eight gold medal in 2013 before becoming the first crew in a decade to win both the men’s and women’s heavyweight eight gold medals in 2017.

Since Savell took over in 2007, Drexel has taken home 55 medals (30 gold, 17 silver and eight bronze) on the men’s side and 35 medals (13 gold, 13 silver and nine bronze) on the women’s side at the Dad Vail. In 2012, Drexel women won their first gold medals in program history. Savell has guided the Dragons to 90 of the program’s 111 total Dad Vail medals, including 35 of the 36 won by the women’s team.

Under Savell’s guidance, Drexel has competed at the Henley Royal Regatta in 2012 and 2016 as well as the Henley Women’s Regatta in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2024. During the 2024 season, the women’s team qualified for the Island Challenge Cup for the first time in program history. In 2016, the men’s program won its first ever races at Henley as the eight defeated University College, Dublin and the four beat the University of Surrey. The Dragons achieved success at the prestigious regatta in 2010 when the women’s varsity eight shocked the rowing world by winning the Sports Council Cup.

In postseason action, the Dragons’ men earned their first ever team bid to the IRA National Championships in 2012 as one of 18 rowing programs. During Savell’s tenure, the Dragons have earned team bids 11 times, including seven straight from 2012-17. The program finished a program-best 15th overall twice in 2015 and 2024. In 2013, the men’s freshmen eight finished 12th in the nation following an undefeated spring season. Drexel’s women have also climbed the ladder in the Colonial Athletic Association under Savell’s watch, finishing second overall from 2015-19 for their best finishes at the conference championships since it officially came together in 2009. In 2018, the women’s varsity four won the CAA gold medal, the program’s first at the conference championships.

Multiple trips to the west coast during Savell’s time have allowed the Dragons to test themselves against some of the top crews in the country. In 2017, the Dragons’ women’s varsity eight earned a victory over Loyola Marymount and San Diego State at the Hornet Invitational hosted by Sacramento State. The Dragons’ men’s varsity eight earned second place in 2011, third overall in 2016 and sixth overall in 2015 at the San Diego Crew Classic, one of the largest regattas in the United States, while the women placed third in 2009. In 2014, he travelled the men’s team out to Seattle, Wash. for the Husky Open where the second varsity eight upset highly-ranked Oregon State. Back on the east coast on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., Savell’s crews have jumpstarted their seasons. In 2016, the men beat ranked George Washington and Georgetown crews at the George Washington Invitational to vault the varsity eight to No. 14 in the USRowing weekly poll, the highest ranking in program history. In 2017 and 2018, it was the women’s turn, as they went on to win the women’s points title.

Savell’s teams have traditionally come out of the gates strong in the fall seasons. Drexel won the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta five straight years from 2010-2014. In 2013, Drexel’s men’s varsity eight finished first overall at the historic Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Mass.

In addition to the Dragons’ strong success on the water under Savell, they have also earned numerous individual academic honors in the classroom. In 2018, Drexel had a program-best 12 women’s rowers named College Rowing Association Coaches Association Scholar Athletes. Drexel has won the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Men’s Rowing Performer of the Year four times – Lorenzo Abala in 2013 and Joseph Masgai in 2014, 2016 and 2017 – as well as the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Women’s Rowing Performer of the Year – Colleen Delaney in 2014 and Paige Propp in 2017. The Dragons have also had women’s rowers named to the CAA All-Academic team each year from 2014-17 (discontinued after 2017) and named CAA Scholar Athlete Award winner (2011 Elizabeth Bratton, 2014 Tori King), and the men have had 42 IRA All-Academic team selections in the last five years.

In July of 2007, Savell was named the Drexel Director of Rowing after serving as the head crew coach at Lehigh for nine seasons. Savell was instrumental in the development of the Mountain Hawks’ program from a team of 30 to more than 100 members. Over his final five seasons with the Mountain Hawks, Savell had three boats in grand finals of the IRAs. In five of his final six seasons, the Lehigh men’s varsity eight finished in the top 12 at the Dad Vail Regatta. In the 2005-06 season, the Lehigh men’s varsity four took third at the Head of the Charles Regatta and fourth at the IRA’s. In 2002, the women’s varsity eight earned a first-place finish at the Head of the Charles Regatta. Under Savell’s guidance, the Lehigh rowing team captured the Patriot League Challenge title in 2001 and 2006. Prior to Lehigh, Savell coached at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, N.J. for four seasons. Savell coached the novice and lightweight boats, capturing numerous state championships. Prior to his stint at Holy Spirit, he worked as the men’s novice coach at Georgia Tech.

Savell is also an accomplished rower. He starred at Holy Spirit in High School before attending the University of Wisconsin, where he rowed stroke in the varsity eight for two seasons. He also captured a National Championship at the IRAs in the straight four and earned a bronze medal in varsity four at the IRAs. Savell graduated from Wisconsin with a degree in engineering and earned his master’s degree in business administration from Lehigh in 2001.

Savell resides in Haddon Township, N.J. with his wife, Janet, and their three sons, Jack, Joe and Brendan.