Armitage, the Gaels longest serving coach, will be entering his 40th year at the helm of the rowing programs at Queen’s this season. Last season, Armitage guided the women’s crew to a silver medal finish at the OUA Championship. As for the men’s crew, he helped lead them to a fourth place finish at the OUA Championshipl.
During his time at Queen’s, Armitage has coached the women’s crew to 13 provincial championships as well as a national championship in 2007. His men’s crews have captured seven provincial championships in his 36 seasons.
Armitage is a three-time OUA Coach of the Year with the men’s crew, earning the recognition in three consecutive years between 1990 and 1992. Under Armitage's leadership the Gaels have produced coaches of the year on nine other occasions including this past season where Zola Mehlomakulu was named women's coach of the year at the CURC.
He has also been recognized with two other prestigious coaching honours. In 1998, he was honoured with the 3M Coach of the Year award which recognized his outstanding contributions to the Queen’s program against candidates from all across the country.
Ten years later, in 2008, the Sport Alliance of Ontario named him the recipient of the Rolf Lund Jule Nisse Award. This award recognizes volunteers who have served as a coach, official, a member of a mission team or served as a board member and who made a “playground to podium” commitment to sport throughout their life.
Armitage is also a member of the Kingston and District Sports Hall of Fame, where he was inducted as a builder in 2001. Currently, he serves as a member of the selection committee for the hall.
Aside from coaching with Queen’s, Armitage has experience coaching at the national and international level. In 1987, he coached Team Canada at the World University Games in Zagreb in the former Yugoslavia and in 1989, he coached Team Ontario at the Canada Summer Games in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
John Armitage - Career Championships
| Women |
Men |
| OUA Champions |
CURA Champions |
OUA Champions |
| 2012 |
2007 |
2008 |
| 2010 |
|
2004 |
| 2008 |
|
1992 |
| 2007 |
|
1991 |
| 2005 |
|
1990 |
| 2004 |
|
1989 |
| 2003 |
|
1982 |
| 1986 |
|
|
| 1985 |
|
|
| 1983 |
|
|
| 1982 |
|
|
| 1980 |
|
|
| 1979 |
|
|
