The Ohio State Buckeyes rowing program has emerged as one of the most consistent and dominant programs in the school’s entire athletic department, winning three national titles in the past 11 years along with one runner-up finish. But now, the program is going to need new leadership.
On Wednesday, Ohio State rowing head coach Kate Sweeney announced her resignation from the team “to be more present” with her family.
“I have made the difficult decision to step away from coaching to be more present for my family,” Sweeney said in a program press release. “Ohio State rowing has been instrumental in my life since I was 18 years old. It has been a true privilege to be a part of this program for so long. … I am so grateful to Gene Smith and Janine Oman for this opportunity. All the assistant coaches and support staff have been incredibly supportive and excellent to work with, and I will miss spending time with them. Lastly, and most importantly, I want to thank the student-athletes for their devotion and contributions to Ohio State rowing.”
Sweeney took over as Ohio State head coach in 2020 when Ohio State fired previous head coach Andy Teitelbaum. During Sweeney’s four seasons leading the Buckeyes, Ohio State won a Big Ten title in 2022 and finished as runner-ups in 2021 and 2023, appearing in the NCAA Championships in all four years. Sweeney was also named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2022.
