SMU Athletics

Chase Graham enters his second season as head coach of SMU rowing (2024-25). In his first season on the Hilltop, Graham led the Mustangs to an AAC title. They finished first at the AAC in the 2v4, 1v4 and 1v8. Eight Mustangs were selected to the all-conference team. The Mustangs qualified for the NCAA Championship. They won the "D" final in 1v4 and finished 21st in the country.

Graham was named head rowing coach at SMU on July 5, 2023. Graham came to the Hilltop from Duke, where he served as associate head coach and recruiting director.
 
Graham joined the Duke staff in August of 2015 and served as an assistant coach with the Blue Devils for his first two seasons before being promoted to most recent role in June of 2017.
 
In 2023, Duke saw its best finish in program history, placing 14th at the NCAA Championships. In their four prior appearances, the Blue Devils finished 17th overall with 45 points in 2016, 16th with 47 points in 2019, 16th with 55 points in 2021 and 16th with 45 points in 2022.

In 2022, Graham oversaw Duke's Second Varsity Eight boat, which shot out of the gate with a win in each of its first seven races of the season. That stretch included a three-race sweep at the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invite, as well as victories over No. 4 Michigan and No. 9 Ohio State at the Big Ten/ACC Double Dual that garnered ACC Crew of the Week honors. The 2V8 went on to collect nine total first-place finishes during the spring campaign and earned bronze in the Grand Final of the ACC Championship at Clemson. That marked the third consecutive season that Graham guided the 2V8 to a spot on the ACC podium. At the NCAA Championships in Sarasota, Florida, the 2V8 advanced to the C Final for a third straight season, taking third with a time of 6:42.825.

In 2021, Graham worked closely with Duke's 2V8 crew that took first place in five races throughout the spring season. The boat turned in a historic performance at the NCAA Championships, claiming first in the C Final with a time of 6:43.416. It marked the Duke program's third all-time victory in an NCAA C Final, two of which came in the 2V8 event.

Graham played a key role in boosting Duke's recruiting prowess throughout the country, as some of the team's greatest contributors have been underclassmen in recent years. Namely, Amelia Shunk was named the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2019 after helping the varsity-4 boat win the first gold medal in program history at the conference championship meet, and later, a Megan Lee (first team) and Morgan Linsley (honorable mention) were named Pocock/CRCA All-Americans.

In addition to attracting top talent from numerous regions in the U.S., Graham has also helped sell the program internationally, as recent signees include natives of England, New Zealand and Australia, among other countries.

During the 2016-17 season, Graham oversaw the V4 and 2V4 boats, with the 2V4 being named the ACC Crew of the Week in March. His two units took first place at the season-opening Carolina Cup, and then headed to the Longhorn Invite, where the 2V4 outpaced Texas, Notre Dame and Iowa.

Both boats also brought home titles at the Dale England Cup with the V4 finishing in 7:45.7 and the 2V4 in 8:01.3. Graham then led both crews to the ACC Championship Grand Final, with the V4 earning third place and the 2V4 claiming fourth.

In 2015-16, his first season on the Duke staff, Graham helped the program earn its first NCAA Championships selection after winning silver at the ACC meet. For his efforts, he was part of the Duke coaching staff that received CRCA National Staff of the Year and Region III Staff of the Year accolades.

The V4 boat captured the C Final at the NCAA Championships and took second at the ACC Championship Grand Final in 2015-16. The crew tallied the Blue Devils' lone win at the Pac-12 Challenge, as it downed UCLA with a time of 7:21.5, and also turned in a standout performance at the Dale England Cup with two victories

Graham joined Duke after four years as the head junior girls coach at Saugatuck Rowing Club in Westport, Connecticut.

With Saugatuck, Graham helped the 2015 V8 and varsity lightweight 8 to the Youth National Championship. His V8 went undefeated and took first place at the Head of the Charles, San Diego Crew Classic, Youth National Championship and Club National Championship. 

In 2014, his varsity lightweight 8 claimed second place at the Youth National Championship while his 4+ was the Club National Champion.

In 2013, Graham coached the women's single at the Junior World Rowing Championships in Trakai, Lithuania.

Graham began rowing at Parkersburg South High School in West Virginia, where he competed for Midwest and scholastic national championships. After graduating high school, Graham went on to row at Marietta College from 2003-07. He was named the team's Most Improved Oarsman in 2004.  

He rowed with the V8 for three years and helped lead the team to a Varsity 8 Dad Vail Championship in 2006. Graham earned a bachelor's degree in management and minor in sport management in 2007. 

While pursuing a master's in education, Graham continued training in the men's pair and won a Club National Championship as well as claiming a third-place finish at the Canadian Henley Regatta. During his time training and completing his education, he served as a women's graduate assistant coach at Marietta College for two years. He helped lead his squad to a Mid Atlantic Division III Championship while also playing an important role in recruiting.

In 2009, Graham began coaching the women's rowing program at Fairfield University. During his first year at Fairfield, he led his squad to the program's first Dad Vail Championship.