This article first appeared on https://nksports.com/blog/finding-his-coxswain-voice-nick-dunlop
Very few coxes have an ending to a season as explosive as Nick Dunlop in 2025. After winning the IRA National Championship with the University of Washington – retaining the Husky title in spectacular fashion over a field stacked with the fastest collegiate eights on the planet – Nick hopped over the pond to Europe to join up with the Australian national team. Jumping in the eight for The Grand Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, Nick steered his crew to a stunning win in the event’s premier open category, defeating the British and Dutch national eights en route.
Now regarded as one of the best coxes in the world, Nick shares with us how he found his coxing voice.
How did you first get into coxing?
I began coxing back in high school, near the end of 2014. I attended Shore School in Sydney, Australia, and rowing was a major sport there. Most people in year 7 knew this and subsequently wanted to try out and make the team. Out of the ~200 boys in my year, I would say about half of them attended the initial meeting. The first two years of rowing at high school in Sydney are spent in coxed quads. We had six quads, so there was only room for just over 30 boys to be on the rowing team. I went to the tryouts thinking I’d give rowing a shot, and as we all lined up to have our weight, height, and wingspan recorded, one of the coaches/teachers said to me, “I assume you’re here to be a coxswain?” Not knowing what a coxswain was at the time, I said yes, and then, as most others proceeded to get on the erg, I was told to sit in this seat, without an oar, and make sure not to hit anything. Everyone else was much, much bigger than me, so I didn’t question what I was told!
What really kept you involved in the very beginning, and how has that evolved over the years?
I was (and still think I am) a very quiet person, but little year 7 Nick was particularly so. I have always enjoyed sport and been a competitive person, but in my first year of rowing, I was in the year 8 fifth quad. I don’t recall much about that first season, but I remember the winter right after rowing ended and thinking to myself that I’d really like to be in the top boat. Why not me? I was fortunate that my schoolhouse’s tutor teacher happened to be the first VIII coach, and after a few chats with him during our regular group meetings, he encouraged me to discuss with the head of rowing what I could do to improve. I then remember chatting with the head of rowing, asking what I could do to move up in the squad for the following/upcoming season. He provided me with a few simple tips, while also encouraging me to conduct my own research and return to him with any questions I had. That next season, I was placed back into the fifth quad, where I then proceeded to work my way up to the first quad and remained there for the rest of the season. This felt like a reward for all the work I’d put in to improve myself as a coxswain. I was fortunate enough to be pushed really hard by another cox in my year group for the entirety of my high school career. In our final year/season, I was in the second VIII, with him beating me for the first VIII cox seat. Another moment that I think really shaped who I am today, and something I would not change. This constant need to improve and become a better cox is something I still look to achieve daily, no matter whether I’m in the top spot at a programme and being chased.
What was your first club like, and how important were they to your growth?
I consider my first ‘club’ to be my high school, Shore; however, my first actual club was Sydney Rowing Club. I first experienced club rowing in Australia during a winter rowing program after my year 10 season, right before my first ‘opens’ level high school season. This was my first introduction to the coaching side of being a coxswain. I joined the coach in the tinny, just listening to what they had to say and why. Once I understood why they requested a change, I was better able to identify it myself next time. Training my eye, learning what was incorrect about the stroke, what someone was doing well, and then attributing it to a feeling in the coxswain seat really allowed me to find a new wave of improvement.
I was called up to cox the club coxed four at Henley Royal Regatta in 2019, in The Britannia Challenge Cup. This was during my last year of high school. Coxing older athletes who knew what they wanted, and would call me out if I made an incorrect call, yielded the most improvement. Improvement isn’t always easy, but neither is the path to success. Finding joy in improving as an individual and as a team has often given me much more satisfaction than the result.
How would you define your coxing style?
I am a very calm and descriptive cox. I consider myself an extroverted introvert, so anyone who solely knows me in and around rowing might not believe that I’m introverted. I still think that my quiet and calm persona comes across in my coxing. I enjoy the technical aspects of rowing, so I often provide descriptive updates about what we’re working on as a crew. I also have tremendous confidence in my racing ability, and I’m at a point now where my instinct can guide a lot of how I cox a boat, both in training and in racing.
In your opinion, what is the most important attribute a successful coxswain must imbue?
In broader terms, ‘situational awareness’ is the most important attribute for successful coxswains. This is something that has been drilled into me by a coach, and it can mean slightly different things for each person or situation. In training, being able to clearly identify what can be improved and then execute the best possible solution for that issue is what defines a good cox. To me, this is being situationally aware of the rowing around me. Furthermore, being aware of external factors contributes to situational awareness. This lends itself to the safety aspect of our role. When it comes to racing, maintaining awareness of other boats enables me to inform the rowers in my boat most effectively. So, situational awareness in racing is also crucial.
What has been your favourite coxing memory?
Winning the IRA National Championship this past season (2025) is undoubtedly my favourite coxing memory to date. This was my final collegiate race, and I’d been chasing this win in the 1V for almost five years. This was the final hurdle in my journey at UW, where not only did I want to win for myself, but even more so for the rowers in my boat, the coaches, and for the programme itself. The final was an entertaining race, met with a white-capping tailwind, tough competition, and the challenge of avoiding the geese in our lane.
What was the biggest learning curve during your coxing journey, and how did you tackle it?
Overcoming the fear of making mistakes is what allowed me to really excel. It’s both challenging and scary to be told “no, you’re wrong” or “that wasn’t the right decision”, but it’s unrealistic never to make mistakes. Coxswains are constantly telling rowers what to change or how to improve, so why shouldn’t they do the same to us? Once you’re able to be open to feedback and detach any negative comments from being aimed at you as a person, you’ll be able to reach the next level. This also lends itself to recording yourself. Once I got past cringing at my own voice, I was able to really level up. Rip the band-aid off, record and listen to yourself, ask others for feedback. This is the most effective way to learn, grow, and improve.
What is the one bit of advice you’d give to a new cox trying to find his or her voice?
Take inspiration from others, don’t try to be them. Allow your personality to be present when you cox, don’t try to suppress it. I also think that balance is essential, so be energetic and fun at times, then know when to be more serious. Understand when something is good, but know when something is not good enough.
How crucial is high-quality equipment (like NK) to set you up for success?
Rowing is a sport where equipment can make a difference, and as a coxswain, having the correct information at your disposal is paramount. Relying on accurate numbers to provide feedback on your feelings is crucial for a coxswain. In my first year of rowing, I didn’t have a coxbox in my bow-loaded coxed quad. Gaining access to one the following year was super important in my development. By no means is it 100% necessary when getting started, but it certainly helps.
