Dameon Engblom was hired in August 2018 and enters his first year as an assistant coach with the University of Pennsylvania men’s heavyweight rowing program.
Engblom came to Penn from Oregon State University, where he spent four years on the coaching staff. He was promoted to associate head coach/recruiting coordinator for the Beavers prior to the 2017-18 season.
“I am very excited to welcome Dameon Engblom aboard,” said Penn’s Nicholas B. Paumgarten Head Coach of Men’s Heavyweight Rowing, Geoff Bond, at the time of Engblom’s hiring. “We go back 25 years to Berkeley High. As a Juniors coach Dameon has had success wherever he has gone, including Capital Crew and Oakland Strokes. He was my Assistant at Deerfield in 2014. Most recently, he was the first assistant at Oregon State. I trust him implicitly and have great respect for his abilities. Dameon is a passionate, enthusiastic competitor. He is also a very hard worker who will be instrumental to our speed as we build a better squad year by year. He will be a fantastic teammate!”
“I am excited to join Coach Bond on the men’s heavyweight crew coaching staff at the University of Pennsylvania,” said Engblom at the time of his hiring. “This is an incredible opportunity to build on the program’s successes, all while living in the heart of American rowing culture and the amazing city of Philadelphia.”
During Engblom’s first season at Oregon State, the Beavers had a third-place team finish at Pac-12 Championships with the Second Varsity 8, Third Varsity 8 and Novice 8 crews all earning bronze medals. In 2016, OSU’s 3V8 and N8 crews once again raced to bronze finishes at the conference regatta, and three crews competed at the IRA Championships. In 2016-17, the Beavers earned a third-place team finish at Pac-12 Championships and the Varsity 8 concluded the season at IRAs. The 2017-18 campaign ended with OSU ranked No. 19 in the nation.
Engblom has paid his dues in the coaching ranks, first as the varsity men’s head coach for Capital Crew in Sacramento from 2006-09. While at Capital Crew, his varsity 8 was ranked in the top 5 in the nation all three years, placing third in 2007. The lightweight 8 was a top-10 crew all three years and never finished below eighth at nationals. That stretch remains the best in the program’s history.
In 2009, Engblom took the assistant coach position at Oakland Strokes Junior Crew while also working as a volunteer assistant with the University of California men’s crew. In 2010, he was promoted to head varsity men’s coach, a position he held until 2012. The highlight came in 2011, the club winning youth national titles in the boys 4+ and a silver in the 2-.
While at Oakland Strokes, Engblom was tabbed to coach with the Under-23 men’s team at the prestigious Penn Athletic Club during the summer of 2011. At Penn A.C. he developed the U23 men’s group for competition, winning the points trophy at the Independence Day Regatta and Club Nationals. At Canadian Henley, his U23 team won the men’s 8 and men’s 4-.
Engblom got his first taste of collegiate coaching as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at UC San Diego during the 2012-13 season.
Engblom also was an assistant coach for the boys’ and girls’ teams at Deerfield (Mass.) Academy, where he also managed the boathouse and equipment including all rigging and repairs. Over the 10-week season, Deerfield produced crews that won the New England Championships in the boys 4+ and placed third at youth nationals.
Engblom graduated from Sacramento State in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences and a minor in Spanish.
