alpine skiing Coaches

Willi Steinrotter was named the Alpine Ski coach at St. Lawrence in the spring of 2009. A native of Sodus, NY and a three sport athlete at Hobart College, Steinrotter took over a St. Lawrence program which is a charter member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association and produced its first NCAA alpine champion in Lindsay Cone in 2009.

Steinrotter has continued to grow the alpine ski program into one of the best in the Northeast.  He coached his first collegiate All-American in 2011, when Ashley-Kate Durham '13 finished in third place overall at the NCAA Championships.  

Steinrotter also works with the Saint soccer programs as an assistant coach.  He came to St. Lawrence after serving as the head men's soccer coach at Clarkson for 19 years, becoming the winningest coach in the program's history.  He coached his 1993 Empire Athletic Association championship team to the NCAA Division III semifinals and his 1998 team lost in overtime to St. Lawrence in the regional final.  He had two national All America team members during his Clarkson tenure and 12 regional All America selections. He was 1993 EAA and NSCAA Regional Coach of the Year in soccer.

Steinrotter, a 1989 graduate of Hobart and a skier/coach on the Hobart and William Smith club ski teams while in college, has the most wins as a coach in Clarkson soccer history in a 19-year career as coach of that sport and has taken several of his alpine ski teams to the U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboarding Association national championships.

Graham Flinn was named the assistant coach for the St. Lawrence University men's and women's alpine ski teams in the summer of 2010.  The Park City, UT native captained the Saints for two seasons before graduating in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental studies.

Flinn was a consistent contributor for the Scarlet and Brown throughout his four-year skiing career and recorded five top-25 finishes. 

Graham, who was also a member of St. Lawrence University's Hunt and Fish Club, was the recipient of the 2010 Frits H. Sample '94 Memorial Award.  The award was established to commemorate Frits Sample, a member of the St. Lawrence ski team, a psychology major and Dean's List student who passed away in 2000.  Flinn was chosen to receive the prestigious award for his leadership as team captain and for his volunteer work in the local community.

Al Gotsch, an Associate Director of Admissions, will serve as the 2010-2011 Faculty/Staff Mentor to both the Alpine ski and women's soccer teams.

Gotsch is responsible for the recruitment of students in Northern New York, including Clinton, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties. He also recruits in the states of Vermont and New Hampshire. Gotsch serves as the liaison to the Athletic Department and helps coordinate the Augsbury/North Country Scholarship.

A graduate and former soccer player at Potsdam State, Gotsch has lived in the North Country for most of his life. He is an avid squash player and enjoys both reading and traveling.

"St. Lawrence University is the 'Gem of the Adirondacks.' What impresses me the most about this University is not only the numerous opportunities to explore, learn and travel, but the feeling of community and family that the students, faculty and staff share with one another. The bottom line: SLU is a fun and exciting place to work." -- Al Gotsch

Chad Tessier, an Associate Director of Major Gifts, will serve as a Faculty/Staff Mentor for the Alpine ski team in 2010-2011.

A 1993 alumnus of St. Lawrence University, Tessier enjoys playing sports including basketball and lacrosse. He's also an avid hiker and runner.

"My favorite thing about St. Lawrence is the people. I grew up in a small town and attended a fairly small school. When I came to St. Lawrence I never felt like I was lost in the crowd. The faculty and staff really care about their students and genuinely want to see them do well. I developed some amazing relationships here that have continued through today." - Chad Tessier