Coaches
Head Coach Al Monte Email: awm009@bucknell.edu Phone: 570-577-1662 
Al Monte, a Philadelphia native, joined the Bison staff in 2008 after working in the private sector as an insurance broker. He served as assistant coach for three years before moving to the position of Head Coach in fall 2011.
The 2011-2012 campaign was marked with some record setting performances. In the fall, the V8 won the Head of the Genesee Regatta for the first time and finished 12th at the Head of the Charles Regatta. In the spring, the V8 recorded duel wins over Purdue, Marist and Hobart and went on to win the silver medal at the ACRA National Championships. The V8’s 2nd place finish tied the programs best which was recorded in 2010 and marked the first victory over rival Michigan at the varsity level. The 2V went on to win the silver medal the ECAC Championship marking the best finish in program history in that event.
Monte was named 2012 ACRA National Coach of the Year for the Varsity 8+’s performance.
Monte spent the summer of 2012 at Vesper Boat coaching the U23 Heavy Men. His crews went on to win 3 national titles in the Intermediate 8+, Intermediate 4+ and Senior 8+ at the USRowing Club National Championships and the U23 8+ at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta.
In spring 2011, the Freshmen 8+ went undefeated in duel racing and capped off their 2011 campaign with a Gold medal performance at the ECAC National Championship Regatta.
Monte spent the summer of 2011 as Head Men's Coach at Vesper Boat Club. Under his guidance, the Vesper Men made the grand final of every intermediate and senior sweep event at the USRowing Club National Championships with Silver and Bronze medal performances in the Senior Men's 8+ and Senior Men's 4-, respectively.
In 2009-2010, the freshman 8 won the Head of the Genesee Regatta, placed 5th at the Knecht Cup, 6th at ECAC and 7th at ACRA.
In 2008-2009, Monte's freshman 8+ placed 2nd at Knecht Cup, 4th at Dad Vails and 6th at ACRA.
Coach Monte also has experience coaching high school athletes at Fairmount Rowing Association and the Episcopal Academy in Philadelphia, PA. Al led the Fairmount RA junior program to a fifth place finish in the JM8+ at the 2007 U.S. National Championships. While at Episcopal in spring 2008, Monte was an assistant to the Girls Varsity Quad and helped them to their first-ever Scholastic Rowing Association (SRAA) National title. In both 2009 and 2010, his Fairmount Crews won the points trophy at the Philadelphia Youth Regatta and placed multiple crews into the finals of the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta.
Coach Monte began rowing at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia, PA. During his tenure at Roman, Monte led the varsity squad to two Gold medal performances at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta and back-to-back SRAA National titles in the Varsity Quad in 2002 and 2003. Monte also stroked Roman’s quad and double to National titles at the 2002 USRowing Youth National Championships. His 2002 campaign was completed at the Henley Royal Regatta and in 2003 he was named Captain of Roman’s Crew.
After high school, Al became a four year letter winner for the Holy Cross Crusaders. As the stroke of the V8, he led the Varsity Eight to two Silver medals at the 2005 and 2006 New England Rowing Championships and back-to-back Bronze Medals at the 2005 and 2006 ECAC National Invitational Regattas. Monte also led the Crusaders to three consecutive Patriot League titles in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Al was again elected Captain in his senior year and throughout his tenure at Holy Cross, the Varsity Eight was ranked in the national top 20 every year.
In addition to his scholastic and collegiate accomplishments, Monte is a six-time U.S. National Rowing Champion, two-time Royal Canadian Henley Champion, and has experience rowing on the United States National Team. Monte represented the USA at the 2003 World Junior Rowing Championships in Athens, Greece and in 2006 he was invited to the World Under 23 Rowing Championships Selection Camp where he was selected to the men’s double scull.
Monte is a 2007 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.
Assistant Coach Scott Waters Email: skw010@bucknell.edu Phone: 570-577-1069
Scott Waters, a native of the Philadelphia suburb of Wyndmoor, Pa. Joined the Bison staff in September 2011 after spending the previous two seasons coaching for LaSalle College High School. A LaSalle High School graduate in 2007, Scott was a three-year varsity letter winner in both football and rowing. Scott would go on to row for Temple University, where he competed for three years in the Varsity 8 that was frequently ranked among the top 20 crews in the country.
During the spring of 2010, Scott coached the LaSalle High School Freshman 8+ to a bronze medal performance in both the Philadelphia City Championships and The Stotesbury Cup Regatta. The following season, Scott coached the LaSalle Junior Varsity 8+ to a silver medal at the Stotesbury Cup.
Scott is a 3-time Club National Champion, winning the Senior Men’s 4- in 2010 and the Senior Men’s 8+ in the summers of 2010 and 2012 for Vesper Boat Club, located on Boathouse Row in Philadelphia. That same summer of 2010 Scott would go on to win 2 more North American Championships at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in both the U23 Men’s 4- and the U23 Men’s 8+.
Scott is a 2011 graduate of Temple University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology.
