WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - College of the Holy Cross’s women’s rowing coach and director of rowing Patrick Diggins is retiring, just over a month after he was involved in a deadly crash in Vero Beach, Florida that claimed the life of a rower.
Diggins has been with the school since the late ’80s and has been serving as the school’s head rowing coach of the women’s program since then, the school said in a statement.
He was promoted to rowing program director in 2002, the college said.
Diggins announced his retirement on Friday, a little over a month before the rowing season is set to begin, the school said.
He was behind the wheel of the van that collided with another driver mid-January in a crash that sent five members of the women’s rowing team to the hospital.
The crash also claimed the life of Grace Rett, a 20-year-old sophomore from Uxbridge, who recently set the world record for indoor rowing for her age group by rowing 237.55 miles in 62 hours.
She went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Diggins apparently pulled out into oncoming traffic and slammed head-on into a red Dodge Ram truck, a crash report indicated.
During his career, Diggins led the team to six conference titles and medals during the New England Championships, according to the school.
He was also named New England Women’s Coach of the Year twice, in 1999 and 2002, the school said.
Jim Barr has been named head interim coach as the school searches for a permanent replacement.
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