Jorgensen joins elite company

Jim Jorgensen, who rowed and coached the men’s crew team at Orange

Coast College, has joined an elite group.

The full-time faculty member at OCC was named the 16th recipient

of the Oarsman award, presented annually at the team’s banquet. The

Oarsman is the most prestigious honor bestowed upon those affiliated

with crew at Coast. The award recognizes either uncommon athletic

endeavor or an extraordinary contribution to the program.

In 1967, Jorgensen was named captain of the freshman team at OCC

and a year later earned Most Valuable Player and Pirate of the Year

honors. That season, Coast earned its first-ever Pacific Coast

championship at the Western Sprints while also taking second in the

national championships.

Jorgensen, who teaches sailing and navigation at Coast, continued

his collegiate career at UCLA with four teammates from OCC. He

returned to Coast in 1973 to begin teaching and coached the sailing

team from 1973 through 1982. He then became an assistant with men’s

crew for the next 13 years.

In 1993, Jorgensen became head coach of the men’s team, but gave

up the post the following season. But he returned beginning in 1997

and held the post through 2000, giving him 18 years on the coaching

staff.

This fall he will return to coaching the sailing team.

Three former Coast presidents are among the previous Oarsman

honorees, along with longtime coach David Grant, whom the OCC

boathouse is named after, and several U.S. national team members.