Jeff Garbutt was appointed interim assistant coach by head coach Andrew Carter in July 2013 and promoted to the program’s assistant coach in July 2014 after his first season with the Hawkeyes.
During his time with the Hawkeyes, Garbutt has helped Iowa advance to consecutive NCAA Championships in 2017, 2018, and 2019. He has consistently seen Iowa improve one spot in the conference standings, placing a program-best fourth in 2018 with a school-record 111 points. He also helped Iowa set a school scoring record at the 2018 NCAA Championships, placing 11th with 69 points.
In 2019, Garbutt continued to guide Iowa as a member of the US Rowing/CRCA Coaches poll for a school-record 29 straight weeks… The Hawkeyes finished sixth at the 2019 Big Ten Championships with the I Varsity Eight earning a bronze medal… Two Hawkeyes – Contessa Harold and Hunter Koenigsfeld – were named CRCA All-Americans, while the team finished a program-best ninth in the I Varsity Eight.
In 2018, Garbutt earned CRCA Region 4 Staff of the Year honors for the second straight year. He helped guide Iowa to the national stage for the second straight season, setting a school-record with 69 points and an 11th place finish at the 2018 NCAA Rowing Championships. The Hawkeyes reached as high as No. 7 in US Rowing/CRCA Coaches poll, a program-best, and set a scoring record at the Big Ten Championships, placing fourth with 111 points. Three Hawkeyes earned All-Big Ten honors, and Contessa Harold recorded a program first by sharing Big Ten Athlete of the Year honors. Five Hawkeyes – Rachel Canon, Kaelynn Heiberg, Logan Jones, Gemma Kerr, and Hunter Koenigsfeld – were named CRCA National Scholar Athletes, and on two consecutive weeks, the Hawkeys I Varstiy Eight earned Big Ten Boat of the Week honors.
Garbutt previously served as the assistant rowing coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Miami.
Before entering the collegiate coaching ranks, Garbutt spent more than a decade developing high school talent in New Jersey. As the head girl’s coach at Mainland High School (2011-13), he helped the Senior 4 accomplish a 2013 New Jersey State Championship and a 2012 New Jersey/Philadelphia City Championship. The Senior 4 also placed runner-up in the SRAA National Championship and the Stotesbury Cup Regatta in 2012. From 2010-11, Garbutt was the freshman girl’s coach at Mainland. During this time, the Freshman 8 earned 2010 New Jersey/Philadelphia City Championship and New Jersey State Championship titles.
He was the head girl’s coach at Ocean City High School from 2004-08, where he led the team to several city, state and national championship titles. As the head coach at The Hun School of Princeton (1996-01), he helped the girl’s Junior 4 win the Stotesbury Cup Championships in 2000 and 2001.
Garbutt rowed collegiately at Temple University from 1990-95 and completed a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in 1995. He served as a member of the Ocean City Beach Patrol from 1993-2013.
Garbutt and his wife, Hope, have one son, J.J.