Following the retirement of longtime sailing icon Ken Legler as head coach of the Tufts University sailing programs in the summer of 2023, Tufts Director of Athletics John Morris announced the appointment of Johnny Norfleet as the new Head Sailing Coach. Norfleet comes to Tufts University after a successful tenure at Fordham, where he served as the head coach of the intercollegiate sailing team since 2014. He helped lead the Rams to the team's first-ever appearance at the Intercollegiate College Sailing Association open, team and match race national championships including a program-best seventh place finish in 2017. An decorated sailor of his own, Norfleet is a US Sailing Level 3 Certified Coach, while winning national titles at the US Sailing Team Racing Championship Hinman Trophy in 2016, 2018, and 2019. During his time as an undergraduate at Hobart College, Norfleet was an ICSA All-American skipper while also serving as a captain of the Hobart and William Smith Colleges varsity sailing team in 2012 and 2013.





In Coach Norfleet's first season at Tufts in 2023-24, the Jumbo coed team qualified for the Intercollegiate Sailing Association National Championships in Team Racing and Fleet Racing. They were fifth out of 18 teams at the Fleet Racing Western Semifinals, then placed 12th in the Finals. Tufts also finished 12th in the nation at Team Racing Nationals. The women’s sailing team received an at-large berth into the Intercollegiate Sailing Association Fleet Racing National Championships where they placed which were held nearby on the Charles River. It marked the seventh straight season that the Jumbos qualified for the national championship and placed 11th in the semifinals. A total of 33 Jumbos earned New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) All-Academic Team honors for carrying grade point averages of 3.50 or higher.



 

• Head Coach, Open Sailing Team, Fordham University (2014-2023)
  • Led team to first-ever appearance in ICSA Co-Ed, Team Race and Match Race National Championships
  • Placed 7th at 2017 ICSA Co-Ed National Championships
  • Helped oversee purchase of $1.5 million boathouse and phases of redevelopment
• Head Coach, 420 Coach, Private Clubs
  • Specialized in 420 class at private institutions and yacht clubs
  • Coached four national champions, one North American champion and two Orange Bowl Regatta champions

 

• B.A. in economics from Hobart College in Geneva, NY
• Captain of sailing team at Hobart in 2012-13
• ICSA All-American Skipper in 2013
• Blair C. Currie Prize in Economics at Hobart (highest GPA of graduating economics majors)