Dan Garbutt had an early introduction to the sport of rowing; whether on the beach watching his father row an ocean dory competitively as a lifeguard on the Jersey Shore or with him Sunday’s on the Schuylkill River watching his older brother’s race, rowing has been a constant throughout Garbutt’s life.
 
Garbutt is currently the head coach of Women’s Rowing at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia where he was instrumental building the team from the ground up and putting ODU on the rowing map. Garbutt has been in ODU since 2008, being at the helm for 12 seasons. Garbutt helped open the $2.3 million ODU Women’s Rowing Center, representing a joint partnership between the city of Norfolk and the University. 
 
Garbutt's collegiate coaching career began as an intern and technical assistant at the University of Washington in 2001. He then went on to spend two years as an assistant men's rowing coach at Northeastern from 2002 to 2004.
 
A 2001 graduate of Princeton University, Garbutt's collegiate career began in 1998 being named a member of the United States National Team, while the Tigers captured the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championship. He went on to earn three varsity letters in men's heavyweight crew as Princeton won three Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC) Championships (1998, 1999, 2001).
 
Garbutt began his competitive rowing career at Atlantic City High School and competed in ocean rowing for 11 years on the Ocean City Beach Patrol in New Jersey. 
 
Garbutt currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia with his wife and twin daughters. 
 
“Open water rowing has long been a passion of mine and the sport of coastal rowing specifically has been something I have been tracking with great enthusiasm over the last several years. The opportunity to grow USRowing’s base and bring the already passionate and energetic community of rowers, both flat and coastal, under one flag is a dream opportunity; it is one that summarizes my life’s work. I look forward to helping coordinate and create a competitive and diverse coastal rowing environment to bring the sport of rowing to as many people as possible.”