Ward Cromwell joined the Tritons in August 2023 as the head sailing coach. He enters his third season at the helm for the 2025-26 campaign.
In his second season at the helm, he helped guide Eckerd back to the ICSA National Championships, while coaching two SAISA Rookies of the Year in Avery Guck and Jordan Vieira.
ICSA National Qualifiers: 2025 (Open Fleet Race Championsip)
SAISA Awards
Rookie of the Year (2)
- Avery Guck (2025): Open Crew
- Jordan Vieira (2025): Open Skipper
First Team (2)
- Avery Guck (2025): Open Crew
- Jordan Vieira (2025): Open Skipper
Cromwell comes to Eckerd after spending 18 years at fellow SAISA school, College of Charleston, where he helped build the Cougars into a national powerhouse. He won six Fowle Trophies as the best overall team in college sailing and 20 ICSA national championships. Cromwell has won at least one ICSA National Championship in each of the six collegiate racing classes with three match race championships, four men’s singlehanded titles, one women’s singlehanded crown, three women’s fleet race championships, six open fleet race championships, and three team race titles.
His accomplishments continue as he has produced 92 ICSA All-Americans among open and women’s skippers and crews and 13 ICSA All-Academic honorees. Additionally, he claimed 51 conference championships and five ICSA Sailors of the Year (three women and two men).
Crowell also spent the last 20 years as a youth and Olympic coach with US Sailing.
He obtained his bachelors degree in education from Old Dominion in 1999.
