APPOINTED: Chris O'Brien is Rowing Australia's new national performance director.
FORMER St Patrick's College rowing guru Chris O'Brien is Rowing Australia's new national performance director.
Rowing Australia announced the appointment this afternoon.
He coached the Australian men's four to a silver medal in the London Olympics, among other duties at the Games.
O'Brien, 44, rowed with St Pat's before going on to oversee the college's program.
He was Melbourne University Boat Club head coach from 2000 to 2004 before taking on the same role at the Victorian Institute of Sport.
London is the third Olympics at which he has coached.
He coached James Tomkins and Drew Ginn to gold in the coxless pair in Athens in 2004, and Ginn and Duncan Free to gold in the same event at Beijing in 2008.