Long-time Leander Coach Roche Inducted into Hall of Fame
Jim Roche, a long-time coach at the Leander Boat Club, was recognized for his outstanding contributions on Monday with the announcement of his induction into the 2026 Row Ontario Hall of Fame Class.
Roche got his start in rowing at Leander in 1949 and was a successful rower before embarking on his coaching career. In 1950, he won the lightweight single at the CSSRA Championships as a member of Cathedral High School and would go on to win several Royal Canadian Henley gold medals while establishing a reputation for being unbeatable in the last quarter mile. He also won the Pan Am Games Trials in the open double with partner Con Andreychuk and competed in the 1959 Pan Am Games in Chicago. A year later, he began a four-decade coaching career where he would coach a host of Canada’s top rowers.
After gaining some coaching experience Roche took over as head coach at Leander in 1963, a position he would hold until 1998. During this tenure he coached several future National Team members and Olympians, including 1972 Olympians John McNiven and Jim Walker, 1976 Olympians Al Morrow, Walt Krawec, Pat Croskerry, Mel LaForme, 1992 Olympic Champions Andy Crosby and John Wallace and World Champion and 2004 Olympian Joe Stankevicius Jr. He also coached many Leander rowers to CSSRA, Royal Canadian Henley, and Ontario Championship podiums while maintaining Leander’s standing as one of the most competitive clubs in the province.
After he retired from the head coach position in 1998 Roche continued to sit on the rowing committee and eventually served as the chairman for several years. A plumber by trade, he was always willing to pitch in wherever needed at the club, from fixing the plumbing in the boat house to tending bar during the club’s Friday night dances. Roche remained a vital part of the Leander community right up to his passing in 2010.
Row Ontario will be announcing the inductions of the 2026 Hall of Fame class throughout the week as part of ‘Hall of Fame Week’. Already announced yesterday is Peterborough rowing builder Chris Leach. Stay tuned this week for more announcements on the 2026 induction class of the Row Ontario Hall of Fame.
The 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 induction classes will be honoured in-person at the Row Ontario Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 28 in the Niagara area. The HOF induction ceremony is part of the Ontario Rowing Summit weekend. To purchase tickets to the HOF induction ceremony, visit the link below:
