Meet Our Coaches

Coach Maddux was born in Atlanta and spent a good deal of his childhood growing up here (he is named after Braves’ great Greg!). His family later relocated to Florida, where he discovered his passion for rowing, eventually captaining the Sarasota Crew for two years during high school.

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Coach Maddux is a graduate of George Washington University in Washington, DC where he rowed 4 years and subsequently served as the second assistant for their Men’s Rowing Team. Upon graduation he returned to Sarasota Crew where he coached the Men’s Varsity team.

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With a passion for rowing and a wealth of coaching experience, he also has recruiting experience in regions such as Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, DC, and the Southeast.

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Coach Maddux coaches with the philosophy of ‘Cultivate excellence in and out of the boat.’  Ready to develop fast boats, Coach Maddux is dedicated to fostering excellence in his athletes.

Coach Smarr grew up in Marietta, attending Pope High School. He began rowing with Atlanta Juniors in the summer of 2008 by participating in one of our Learn to Row camps. Immediately finding love for the sport, he would go on to row all four years of high school with AJRA. Coach Smarr attended Kennesaw State University, majoring in Health and Physical Education with a minor in Coaching.

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After finishing his degree, Coach Smarr spent four years as an elementary school P.E. teacher in Marietta. He has continued to stay in touch with AJRA, and this past year returned to chase his passions and pursue coaching full time. He currently lives in Cartersville, with his wife Emily and daughter Palmer.

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Coach Smarr coaches with the philosophy of ‘work hard and work together.’ He is excited to build a positive, unified, and competitive culture. He has recently completed his Level 2 coaching certification with USRowing, and is excited to use that knowledge to bring this team to its full potential.

Coach Sarah is an AJRA alumna who rowed for Atlanta Juniors for 6 years. After graduating high school in 2013, she went on to attend the University of Michigan on a rowing scholarship. At Michigan, Sarah majored in international studies and political science while competing as a Division I athlete. In 2017, Sarah led the 2V8+ to a third-place finish as well as a third-place overall team finish at the NCAA Rowing National Championship.

After graduating from Michigan, she returned to Atlanta to work for the Metro Atlanta Chamber and was lead coach for the AJRA Novice Women for a year. She is Level 2 coaching certified with USRowing. Today, Sarah helps out with the Varsity Women and can be found wearing at least six jackets on cold days at the river.

Coach George is an AJRA alumnus and started his coaching career with the AJRA Varsity Men in 2003 while also rowing for Georgia State University. He took a hiatus from 2006-2009 when he finished earning his degree in Recreation Management from Appalachian State University.  George has predominantly coached the Novice squad, but is currently working with the Varsity Women with Coach Maddux.  He is Level 2 coaching certified with USRowing. When not coaching rowing he can be found on another section of Hooch where he manages the Atlanta branch of the Nantahala Outdoor Center. The time George is not on the river he can be found hiking, biking, climbing, or paddling with his wife Anna and his two sons Oliver and Charlie.

Coach Sarah Darling has been involved with AJRA since 2005 when she walked on the novice women’s team. She immediately fell in love with the sport and rowed all four years in high school, racing in the Lightweight 8+ at Youth Nationals in 2007. She attended the University of Georgia where she majored in English Education and cheering on the Dawgs. Upon graduation in 2013, she missed the river immensely, so she began coaching with D-squad that very fall season. She stepped up to the role of assistant coach for the novice women in 2017-18. Today she is happy to be a part of the varsity women’s coaching staff again this year.

After graduating from UGA, Sarah taught English at Northview High School for six years. After completing her Master’s degree at Georgia State University she began work as an English teacher at Westminster. Today, she can be found rivaling the number of jackets Coach Sarah Hudnall wears on cold days (and probably matching with her, too).

Though not an AJRA alum, Coach Will is very familiar with the Hooch, as he began his rowing journey there in 2006. Following his graduation from Milton High School, Coach Will he took his talents to Georgia Tech where he was a member of the GT Crew team. After a brief hiatus, he returned to coaching in 2019 and joined AJRA in 2022 where he perfected his signature overalls and Chacos style. When he’s not on the water, Coach Will enjoys spending time with his wife, Morgan, and their two dogs and cat.

Bio coming soon.

Coach Luke, an AJRA alumnus, spent 6 years rowing with Atlanta Juniors before transitioning into coaching. He began leading the DSquad in the Spring of 2022 during his senior year of high school. His passion for rowing only intensified while attending Dickson College, and after missing the sport, he returned to Georgia to coach the Novice Men's team. Outside of the boathouse, Luke serves as the manager of Northumberland Swim Club. Whether he's guiding workouts or tossing a frisbee, Coach Luke brings energy, dedication, and a sense of fun to every practice.

Coach Amanda first discovered rowing and walked onto AJRA as a junior at Walton High School in 2016. She continued rowing in college at Jacksonville University, where she studied Marine Science on a rowing scholarship. Missing the AJRA boathouse, she returned to Atlanta to coach the Developmental team as soon as she graduated. When she's not coaching the lively middle schoolers of DSquad, Amanda works for the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, issuing citations and fines to anyone in nearby counties brave enough to pollute a water source on her watch.

Coach Tobi, an AJRA alumnus, discovered his passion for rowing when he joined the Novice team in 2018, dedicating the next 4 years to the sport. After rowing for a year at Loyola University Maryland, he returned to Georgia to pursue a career in aviation. With experience coaching the summer, DSquad, and Recreational teams, Tobi is well-prepared and excited to coach our Novice Men's team.