My Guys

What's your educational background?

I went to MIT; I have a bachelor's in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. And I went to Harvard for graduate school; I have a master's of education.

So you know how to make planes and boats and kids go?

Right.

What championships have you won?

From the world championships, I have three golds, a silver, and bronze, and from the Pan Am Games, I have a silver - and a handshake from Fidel Castro.

What's the difference between coaching men and women?

My snarky response is usually, "Well, let's see. You have to get the oar in the water. You've got to push the boat past the oar. You've got to get your boat past the finish line first." There's no difference. I am not one who will ever swear at my crew. I know there are coaches out there who say, "You can swear at the men." I've had men on my teams cry, and I'm not swearing at them. I don't do it differently because I'm coaching men.

Should there be more women coaching men on a collegiate level? Are there any sports where you don't think it would be appropriate?

As long as you know the sport, it shouldn't matter what kind of chromosomes you have.

Do you have a coaching philosophy?

One of the first things I talk to the guys about each year is respect. There is a zero-tolerance policy for not respecting people.

Do you think being a female authority figure in these young men's lives allows you to affect how they relate to and view women?

Absolutely. There's not enough women in leadership roles. I've got a sign in my locker room: "10 ways to prevent men's violence against women." It's up there. I'm working at it. Maybe 18 guys a year are having their consciousness raised.

Ever been accused of being too "soft" or "easy" on your rowers simply because you're a woman?

One of our rowers, he would say it to my face. I had to give him credit for that. He said: "Linda, you're a woman. You can't possibly know what it means to compete." Last year, he asked if I could coach him [for a national team tryout]. I took that as a breakthrough.

If a chance to be a coach on the national team came up, would it matter to you if it were the men's team or women's team?

It wouldn't, but part of me feels that by coaching a men's team, I think I might be opening a door for other people to follow, and I don't really mind doing that.

Any advice for other women who'd like to coach men's teams?

Put on your thick skin and keep going.

– Shawn Peters