Doug Marshall was honoured on Tuesday as he was announced as the latest member of the 2025 Row Ontario Hall of Fame Class. With the induction, Marshall becomes the seventh coach to be inducted into the Row Ontario Hall of Fame.
A mentor to many athletes and coaches in the Ontario rowing community, Marshall coached for 45 years (1962-2007) and was head coach of the Brockville Rowing Club for 43 of those years. Under Marshall’s guidance, the BRC became known as a ‘small-town club that punches above its weight’ and helped lead many of the athletes he coached to success both on and off the water.
“Doug was passionate about all aspects of the BRC, and totally dedicated to fundraising, to keeping the equipment in A-1 condition and to inspiring countless young people to excel in rowing and in life after rowing,” said Doug’s wife, Patricia Marshall.
During his time as head coach of Brockville, Marshall coached athletes to over 100 Ontario Championship gold medals, over 60 CSSRA Championships, and over 50 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta wins. He also coached four Olympians (1 silver medal), three Pan Am Games competitors and over 25 athletes who raced for Canada at the World Rowing Championships. He led the club to its second-ever efficiency award at the RCHR in 1981 and in 1985 the club earned a record eight gold medals at the Ontario Rowing Championships. Marshall also made his mark coaching at the international level, coaching at four World Championships (1975, 1978, 1979, 1984) along with being Team Manager for the World Rowing Junior Championship in 1981.
Off the regatta course Marshall was an influential figure whose efforts helped the BRC become one of the leading and most progressive clubs in the Ontario rowing community. Marshall and other prominent members of the club were instrumental in establishing the Ontario Rowing Association (later changed to Row Ontario) in 1970. Additionally, he led the campaign to host the Ontario Rowing Championships in Brockville, on the St. Lawrence River. The events in 1972 and 1974 represented the first time that the regatta had been hosted outside of St. Catharines.
Throughout his career Marshall recognized the need for technical rowing knowledge and worked diligently to improve his own coaching methods. He relied upon and sought out advice from colleagues both Canadian and International including which he was able to pass along to other Ontario coaches. Along with contemporaries Jack Nicholson (Ridley College) and Forbes Monarch (Argonauts Rowing Club), Marshall was also one of the first coaches in Ontario to promote coach education and host coaching seminars across the province to help grow rowing coaching in Ontario. He served as Ontario Rowing Association Coaching Coordinator from 1974-1977.
Marshall was also among a small group of Ontario coaches that embraced women’s rowing and worked tirelessly to develop and advance the women’s discipline. This led to a strong women’s program at the BRC, which produced three members who earned a spot on the inaugural Canadian women’s Olympic rowing team in 1976.
Marshall’s son Chris took over the head coaching reigns from his father at the BRC and is currently the Head Coach of the Ontario NextGen Performance Centre. Yet another Marshall and BRC product, Phil Marshall, followed in his father’s footsteps as a high-level coach, becoming an Olympic team coach for Canada and is currently Row Ontario’s Performance Director.
Marshall’s accomplishments have been previously honoured with an induction in the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame (1993), the RCA Award of Merit (1992), RCA Coach of the Year (1988) and RCA Lifetime Coaching Recognition Award (2003).
Row Ontario is announcing the inductions of the 2025 Hall of Fame class throughout the week as part of ‘Hall of Fame Week’. Members of the class announced so far include, Ian McFarlane (Coach), who was announced in May, and the 1984 Men’s Eight (Crew). Stay tuned this week for more announcements on the 2025 induction class of the Row Ontario Hall of Fame.