Western Mustangs Sports

• Name: Daniel Bechard
• Season #: 17 
• Education: Ph.D. Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
• Coaching Certification: Level 4, NCI Certified
• Hometown: Wallaceburg, ON
• Profession: Coach
• Past Athletic History: Western varsity rower 1999-2005
• Coaching Highlights: 2008 Temple Challenge Cup title, W8+ medaling at the 2009 U23 World Championships, 2006 Western’s first Men’s Team National Championship Title
• E-mail: dbechar5@uwo.ca

Daniel Bechard has been part of the Mustangs program since 1999 when he first joined the team as a novice rower. In 2006 he turned his focus to coaching as he completed his PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and in 2017 took on the role of Men’s Head Coach.  Since 2006, the Mustangs have won nine OUA Titles along with six Canadian Titles. Bechard is also the only Canadian university coach to be named both the men's (2008) and women's (2010) Coach of the Year by the Canadian University Rowing Association.

Along with his experience at Western, Bechard has an impressive international coaching resume, spending time as an assistant coach with the Canadian under-23 women's national team on three occasions, a coach with Rowing Canada’s talent development program, and as the team lead and women's head coach for the 2015 World University Games.

Hailing from Wallaceburg, Ont., Bechard is a Level 4 NCCP coach and NCI certified.