Coaches

Dan Passarella

Owner and Head Coach

Coach Dan started rowing in middle school in Belleville, New Jersey continuing all through high school. He rowed at Marietta College and even coached the Marietta College crew team. Afterwards, he coached in New Jersey for both Nutley and Belleville high school crew teams. After a career in the technology industry, he founded both the Power 10 Rowing Club and Riverside High School crew team in Loudoun County, Virginia to build a nationally competitive team. Coach Dan is a US Rowing Level 3 High Performance Coach. He, his wife and son have been living in Loudoun County, Virginia for over twenty years. His son now rows at Marietta College.

“We are coaching at a distance out on the water. With the indoor rowing tank, we can focus on bladework and adjust in real time coaching novice and experienced rowers.”

Joseph Carrier

Owner and Coach

Coach Joe received an undergraduate degree from University of Illinois and a graduate business degree from Georgetown University in corporate finance and strategy. After a career in structured finance and business intelligence, he joined Dan in 2020 to coach the Riverside High School crew team in Loudoun County, Virginia into a formidable championship team to medal repeatedly at Virginia State Championships and compete in the finals at Stotesbury Cup Regatta and semi-finals at SRAA Nationals. Coach Joe is a US Rowing Level 2 Experienced Coach. He, his wife and two sons have been living in Loudoun County, Virginia for over ten years.

“The indoor rowing tank provides an exceptional opportunity for rowers to develop technique much faster and more efficiently to deliver a real competitive edge.”

Erik Kittelson

Coach

Coach Erik received an undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in teaching from Old Dominion University. He coached the Stone Bridge High School crew team for over five years to medal at Virginia State Championships and Stotesbury Cup Regatta. As a US Rowing Level 2 Experienced Coach, he enjoys coaching athletes in the sport of rowing, and has over fifteen years of experience coaching competitive Northern Virginia high school sports. Erik teaches Engineering at the Academies of Loudoun and lives in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Sean Thomas

Coach

Coach Sean received an undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech and entered active duty in the U.S. Army as a Field Artillery officer. He coached the Stone Bridge High School crew team from 2018 through 2021 serving as Head Coach for the last three seasons and returning as Head Coach for the 2025 spring season. A US Rowing Level 2 Experienced Coach, he enjoys mentoring student athletes and strategizing boat lineups to operate at the competitive edge. Coach Sean owns a consulting firm and lives with his wife and two children, both Stone Bridge crew alumni, in Loudoun County, Virginia.

“Row with purpose, not just power. Anyone can pull hard for a moment, but it takes vision, rhythm and trust to carry a boat the whole way. Strength wins a race, purpose wins a season.”

Joe Brennan

Coach

Coach Joe has coached at every level from regional youth to international coaching athletes from novice to competitive world champions. He rowed at Marietta College and was Head Coach of the US Men at the U23 World Championships/Nations Cup in 1995. Additionally, he coached collegiately for Georgetown and Temple as well as high school in the Northeast for Hun School, Peddie School and Monsignor Bonner. Coach Joe is a US Rowing Level 1 Coach. He and his family have been living in Loudoun County, Virginia for over twenty years.

John Hillmann

Coach

Coach John received a BS in Mathematics from Fordham University and an MBA from American University. He rowed at Fordham University and currently coaches at Stone Bridge High School to consistently medal at Virginia State Championships. His coaching philosophy emphasizes physical strength, mental resilience, and sportsmanship ensuring every athlete gains valuable lessons both on and off the water. As a US Rowing Level 1 Coach, he provides personalized guidance to each athlete to reach full potential. Coach John lives in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Mason Pudwill

Summer Coach

Coach Mason competed as a Senior at Riverside High School rowing as a Novice in his first year to win at Virginia State Championships. He currently rows at the University of Rhode Island, and is studying Data Science, Spanish and History. Coach Mason regularly now competes at the Dad Vail Regatta as well as the ACRA Club Rowing National Championships. He enjoys coaching high school athletes and breaking down the sport from complex biomechanics into intuitive bladework. As a US Rowing Level 1 Coach, Mason brings a wealth of rowing experience and insight to the summer rowing program.

Veronica Rush

Summer Coach

Coach Veronica is a 2022 Riverside High School graduate. She rowed as a team Captain for two years on the Riverside Crew team. Currently, she majors in Animation at the University of Central Florida, and rows as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. As a freshman, she competed in the UCF Varsity First Four earning silver at the All-American Conference Championship. As a sophomore, she rowed in the UCF Varsity Second Eight earning bronze in the Big 12 Conference Championship. Now as a US Rowing Level 1 Coach, Veronica is excited to return to Coach the summer rowing program.

Andrew Montero

Summer Coach

Coach Andrew rowed for all four years for the Stone Bridge High School crew team. He is a rising Sophomore at Washington College, and continues competing as a collegiate rower. In his Freshman season, he earned second place in the Freshman Eight at the Dad Vail Regatta, and competed in the First Eight at the MARC Conference Championships. As a US Rowing Level 1 Coach, Andrew is passionate about developing athletes of all levels and enjoys working with both Novice and Experienced rowers alike to achieve peak performance.