MA in Education, Marietta College, 2005
BS in Civil Engineering, Florida Tech, 2001
Level III Certification from USRowing Association
Adam Thorstad finished his 16th season as head coach of the Florida Tech women’s rowing team in 2021-22. He is a Florida Tech graduate, earning his bachelor’s in civil engineering in 2001.
2021-22 saw Adam earn his sixth career SSC Coach of the Year honor. The season was highlighted by a Varsity Four silver medal finish at the Dad Vail Regatta and a third-place SSC finish.
2020-21 had Adam and the team pick up where they left off as one of the top teams in DII. The program won its fourth consecutive Sunshine State Conference title and its ninth overall, both are SSC records. The team also picked up its fourth straight SSC Boat of the Year honor as the was bestowed upon the V8. The team got the automatic South region bid for the NCAA Championship and finished the year as the third best team in the nation.
2019-20 only saw the Thorstad's Panthers compete in the fall because of COVID-19, but the team put together a strong showing in which had them at the top of the podium amongst it collegiate competition.
2018-19 was the most successful season in program history as Florida Tech finished runner-up in the NCAA Championship. The Panthers continued its domination of the FIRA and SSC regattas as they were the top DII at FIRA and were crowned SSC Champions for a third straight season. This success led to Thorstad and his team sweeping the SSC awards and two member of the team being named Pocock/CRCA All-America First Team (Natalia Arasa Bonavila and Svetlana Ristin), one CoSIDA Academic All American (Hana Malia Ito) and five CRCA National Scholar Athletes.
The 2017-18 was one of the best seasons in program history, which comprised of winning back-to-back Florida Intercollegiate Rowing Association and Sunshine State Conference titles, coupled by a Silver medal at SIRA, a Margaret McNiff trophy at Dad Vail's, and a consecutive third-place finish at the NCAA DII Women's Rowing Championships.
2016-17 was a huge year for the team as they put together an impressive season that ended with the V8 boat finishing third in the NCAA DII Women's Rowing Championships. Alongside that they were named SSC Boat of the Year and conference champions. The team also accrued wins in the Knecht Cup and FIRA (first time since 1983).
Thorstad repeated as SSC Coach of the Year in 2017. The 2017 conference championship was also the first under his tutelage.
He was named the Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year in 2016, leading the Panthers to a third-place finish at the SSC Championships and a finals appearance at the Dad Vail Regatta.
He guided the women’s varsity eight and four to the program’s second NCAA Division II Women’s Rowing Championship appearance in his fourth season in 2010. FIT finished fourth in overall points. The varsity eight placed sixth and varsity four came in second at the race.
In 2009, the varsity eight was named Sunshine State Conference Boat of the Year and Thorstad won his second SSC Coach of the Year honor.
He was awarded his first SSC Coach of the Year award following his first season at FIT in 2006-07. The Panthers placed second overall at the SSC Championships and third two times, at the Florida Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships and the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships. They fared well against some of the best competition in the country, finishing sixth at the Dad Vail Regatta and the NCAA Division II Championships.
Individually, rowers have also experienced success under Thorstad’s tutelage. Eleven have been chosen Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Scholar-Athletes and four have been named All-America. At the SSC level, 15 have been awarded all-conference and 10 have been selected to the All-SSC Freshman/Novice Team.
Anastasia Stodolski, a freshman in 2011-12, was one of the few invited to participate in the USRowing National Team Freshman Camp.
Prior to stepping into his role, Thorstad gained head coaching experience, while teaching precalculus and geometry at Belen Jesuit Prep in Miami, Fla. At the institution, he was involved with coaching and training the varsity, junior varsity and novice student-athletes as well as recruitment and retention. During his one year, he helped lead the boys team to a fourth-place finish at the Florida Scholastic State Regatta.
He was a graduate assistant at Marietta College from 2003-05. His duties included recruiting and coaching freshman along with overseeing the student work study program. At Dad Vail, his freshman eight team bested its competition in 2004 and in 2005, the crew took third.
Upon graduating from FIT, Thorstad was the Panthers’ assistant coach for two years. Under his guidance, the 2002 freshman eight took fifth at Dad Vail and his 2003 freshman four earned third place.
As a Panther, he served as his team’s captain for the 2000-01 season. He helped the men’s pair collect a fourth-place finish at Dad Vail in 2000. One year later, his varsity four took third place.
Along with his degree from FIT, he earned a master’s in education from Marietta. He holds Level III Coaching Certification from the USRowing Association.
He resides in Indialantic with his wife Patricia and daughters Mia and Julia.
