Patrick Rowan Named Head Coach Of Indiana State’s Women’s Program

Photo Courtesy: Indiana State Athletics

Indiana State Director of Athletics Sherard Clinkscales has named Patrick Rowan head coach of the Indiana State Women’s Swimming & Diving program. Rowan joins the program from Nebraska, where he has served as Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator since 2012.

“Sycamore Athletics takes another step forward today as we welcome Patrick Rowan to our family as the next head coach of Indiana State Women’s Swimming & Diving,” Clinkscales said. “Our student-athletes made tremendous strides last season and coach Rowan is the perfect leader to take this program to the next level and compete for a Missouri Valley Conference Championship. The interest in our position was very high but Coach Rowan’s strong record of success and commitment to the well-being of his student-athletes immediately put him at the top of our list. Please join me as we welcome Patrick, his wife Miranda, and his children Reese, Quinn and Luke to the Wabash Valley!”

Rowan, a former volunteer assistant for the Huskers and a long-time coach in the Nebraska Aquatics program, rejoined the Nebraska staff in 2012 after spending five years at Missouri. As an assistant for the Tigers, Rowan helped build the program into one of the nation’s top 15 programs. At Nebraska, Rowan was the primary coach for the freestyle, sprint and breaststroke groups. He performed all administrative duties including travel, apparel, compliance, swim camps and assisted with the budget.

“I am sincerely honored to have been named the next head women’s swimming coach at Indiana State,” Rowan said. “I would like to thank Director of Athletics Sherard Clinkscales and Assistant Athletics Director Joel McMullen for the opportunity to lead this program. I am very excited to begin working with our student-athletes, helping them to improve each day in the pool, classroom and community. Indiana State has fantastic academics and athletics to draw swimmers from Indiana and around the world. With strong recruiting and the continued development of our student-athletes the future of the program is bright as we aim to compete for championships in the Missouri Valley Conference.”

Coaching searches are a team effort for the Sycamores and taking a lead role this time has been Joel McMullen, Assistant AD for NCAA Compliance and sport supervisor for Sycamore Swimming & Diving. Throughout the entire process, it became more clear every day that Rowan was the right person for the job.

“Hiring coaches is one of the most difficult, yet enjoyable, processes to go through as an athletic administrator,” McMullen said. “Fortunately, we had an outstanding pool of candidates to choose from, making the decision even more difficult. Our goal was to find someone who was the right fit and that would be best-suited to carry on Coach (Matt) Leach’s vision and legacy for the ISU Swimming & Diving Program. Further, it was an absolute necessity that the coach be someone that could hit the ground running and step onto campus with the respect and trust of our student athletes. In Coach Rowan, we found that person. I had the opportunity to spend several hours one-on-one with Patrick. He is the right person at the right time to lead our program into the future. I could not be more excited about a coaching hire. Thanks to everyone for helping in this process and big tip of the cap to our AD, Sherard, for leading us in this effort. It’s time to #MarchOn!”

At Nebraska, Rowan saw the program break a total of 17 school records across his six years as Associate Head Coach. In 2018, the Huskers ranked No. 1 in the country for recruiting, retention and improvement by SwimSwam.com. According to CollegeSwimming.com, the 2018 edition of the Cornhuskers ranked 44th nationally in dual meet rankings. Freshman Autumn Haebig qualified for the NCAA championships in the 500 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle and 100 Backstroke. Her highest finish was 40^th nationally in the 100 backstroke. The program also produced 26 individuals who made the NCAA B cut at the 2017-18 NCAA Championships.

In 2016, Nebraska has six athletes qualify for the Team USA Olympic Trials while two international athletes qualified for the Olympic Trials representing their home country.

Nebraska Swimming and Diving won the Herman Team award during the 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years for highest team grade point average. In the fall of 2015, 2016 and 2017, the Cornhuskers ranked in the Top 50 nationally and tops in the Big Ten Conference for best team GPA.

In his first year at Nebraska, Rowan served as the primary sprint freestyle coach in 2012-13. He saw the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relay teams swim school-record times at the 2013 Big Ten Championships. Taryn Collura swam a school record in the 50-yard freestyle and became the first Husker to qualify for the NCAA Championships in six years.

In Rowan’s second season at NU, he helped 14 swimmers to personal bests in the sprint freestyle events. In 2014-15, he guided the 200-yard freestyle relay to the second-best time in school history at the Big Ten Championships. In 2016-17, Erin Oeltjen set a school record in the 100 and 200- yard backstroke, while Dana Posthuma notched the second-best time in school history in the 200-yard butterfly (1:58.16).

A Nebraska native, Rowan helped orchestrate a steady rise into national prominence at Missouri. In his first season at MU, the Lincoln Southeast High School graduate helped the Tiger women’s team finish 38th at the 2008 NCAA Championships. After a 28th-place showing in 2009, the Tigers climbed to 23rd in 2011 before finishing 14th at the 2012 NCAA meet.

Rowan served as the power sprints coach while also working with the middle distance group at Missouri. He was the recruiting coordinator for the Tiger men’s program while assisting with recruiting on the women’s side. The Tiger men’s 2011 recruiting class was ranked seventh nationally by CollegeSwimming.com, while the women’s class was ranked 18th. He served as the director of the Mizzou Swim Camp and coached the Mizzou Swim Team (USA Swimming Club).

Before heading to Missouri, Rowan served as a volunteer assistant on Morales’ Husker staff in 2006-07.

From 2002 until 2007, Rowan served as the head coach and general manager of the Nebraska Aquatics swim team. Between 2003 to 2007, he served as the age group chairman for the Midwestern Swimming Executive Board. He was named Midwestern Swimming Coach of the Year in 2006-07 and again in 2012-13, after being named its Age Group Coach of the Year in 2004-05.

Rowan swam collegiately at Eastern Michigan, helping EMU to a pair of Mid-American Conference championships.

Rowan, who earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Eastern Michigan in 2000, received his master’s degree in education with an emphasis in school and counseling psychology/sport psychology from Missouri in 2009.

He and his wife, Miranda, have two daughters, Reese and Quinn, and a son, Luke.

The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with Indiana State Athletics. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.

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