DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University women's rowing program has a new leader as Dawson Shyne-Appignani has been hired as the team's head coach, Director of Athletics Brian Hardin announced today.
 
Shyne-Appignani comes to Des Moines after over four years as Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for the rowing program at Sacred Heart University where he coached against the Bulldogs in Metro Conference action.
 
In his first season at SHU, Dawson coached the Varsity Fours through the spring season, which ended in a silver medal at the Metro Conference Championships.
 
Over the next two seasons, he coached both Fours to a silver and bronze medal in 2024 and won both Varsity Four and Second Varsity Four Metro Conference championships in 2025, the latter setting a league record.
 
Dawson's last year at Sacred Heart was spent coaching the SHU Lightweight 8 and Lightweight 4 in their inaugural season within the program. The Pioneers' Lightweight 4 group won the Petite Finals over Georgetown at the IRA National Championships, finishing the season ranked sixth in the country. That lofty ranking tied with national power Stanford.
 
"We are pleased to welcome Dawson and his partner, Bridgette, to Drake Athletics and Des Moines," Hardin said. "Dawson has been able to recruit, develop, and retain successful student-athletes in the Metro Conference and we look forward to Dawson having a similar impact on our rowing program."
 
Shyne-Appignani was a walk-on rower at Ithaca College where he was named a captain as a senior. At Ithaca, he earned his B.S. in Television and Radio Broadcasting with minors in Spanish and Coaching.
 
Following graduation from Ithaca, he began coaching at The Derryfield School as the boys' head coach while also holding a teaching position. Dawson eventually shifted into a full-time coaching role at Bucknell University where he coached the Varsity Fours for the women's program. While with the Bison, Shyne-Appignani helped guide Bucknell's V4+ to a bronze medal at the Patriot League Championships.

"I think Dawson is the perfect fit to be the next women's rowing head coach at Drake," former Bulldog head coach Charlie DiSilvestro said. "He has a great recruiting background and fresh training ideas that are going to be a perfect fit for the team. The women will really relate to him as a personable, strong candidate for the position. We have a really good person in him to be the program's next leader."
 
Shyne-Appignani also previously coached the boys' rowing program at Fairfield Preparatory High School from 2023-24 and the Canal Dock Boathouse as the Master's Indoor Coach from 2024-25.
 
"I first want to thank Alex Crowl and Charlie DiSilvestro for introducing me to the incredible Drake Athletics community and entrusting me with this opportunity to join it," Shyne-Appignani said. "After years of coaching against the Bulldogs on the water, I am honored and ecstatic to have the chance now to work with them daily and write the next chapter of Drake Rowing. I hope to bring as much energy to this program as the countless athletes, alumni, coaches, and supporters who have led the way in years past. I'm looking forward to everyone's return to campus this fall so we can start developing a strong foundation to chase our goals this spring.
 
Shyne-Appignani's official start date is set for July 20 and his email is dawson.shyneappignani@drake.edu.