The ARION program is coached by Eric "Cat" Catalano.  Cat has coached inside the USA Jr Development system and has also taken trials boats to World Championships.  Cat began coaching the fledgling club of Saratoga Rowing Assoc in 1998 and helped bring the club to national attention as a high school program.  Following a brief stint at Harvard/Radcliffe in 2004-2007, Cat returned to SRA as the executive director and head coach.  In 2016, following the Olympic Trials, Cat started the ARION program.

Cat is a frequent presenter at coaching conferences on teaching technique and rigging.  He believes that the best experiences are found when the challenges and skills are appropriately balanced from the middle school rowers all the way to the Olympians, and his coaching philosophy is "teach, train, select" in that order and emphasis.

Cat coaches on "themes" to the group as a whole, and gives individual coaching to athletes within the theme of the practices or if specific technical changes for that individual are on the verge of a breakthrough.  Best success is found under Cat's coaching by the athletes who can direct and hold focus, is willing to the the mental work of making changes and willing to be patient but persistent as some changes take time.  It also helps to catch him outside of practice time when you can.  He stays pretty busy, but he loves sharing knowledge/insight and brainstorming when asked.