The University of Central Oklahoma welcomed Brian Ebke as its new head rowing coach in August, 2019 and despite a choppy-water start to his tenure with the Bronchos due to unforeseen circumstance, the former UCO graduate assistant still led the Central Oklahoma to its third consecutive national championship in 2021.
Ebke was prepared to lead the Bronchos in 2020 but the season was canceled on the eve of the team's first race. Back in 2021, the Bronchos didn't miss a beat.
Ebke led Central to a Varsity 8+ national title (the fourth consecutive), a Varsity 4+ national title (the second in a row) and the 2021 NCAA Division II National Team Championship (the third in a row).Â
The Broncho eights won six races in 2021 and the fours also won three more. Ebke guided the Bronchos to the first-ever Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) and the team swept every postseason award. Ebke himself was named coach of the year and led the team to earn Rower of the Year, Coxswain of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, and Freshman of the Year. The Bronchos also had five First Team All-GNAC selections.
Central Oklahoma returned to the national championships in 2022, with the Bronchos taking fifth in the team standings. UCO's Varsity 8+ finished fifth, taking the Petite Final. The Bronchos had the fastest race time of any DII boat on the water on championship race day. Central's Varsity 4+ finished third in the Grand Final.Â
Ebke, who spent 2014 as a graduate assistant coach at Central Oklahoma, came to UCO from Princeton. He spent 2018-19 as an assistant there with the open rowing team. Ebke is a former Princeton heavyweight rower.
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Ebke began working with the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation in 2009 and spent the next six years working in developing world class talent on the Oklahoma River. Ebke placed four boats in grand finals at nationals, winning the lightweight 4+ in 2014. He also led a lightweight junior women's team to a 2015 world championship.
Brian is married (Madison) and they have one daughter (Ella).
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