Rowan Returns to Husker Swim Staff

Lincoln - Nebraska Head Coach Pablo Morales announced the addition of Assistant Coach Patrick Rowan to the Husker women's swimming and diving staff on Tuesday, July 24.

Rowan, a former volunteer assistant for the Huskers and a long-time coach in the Nebraska Aquatics program, rejoins the Nebraska staff after spending the past five years at Missouri. As an assistant for the Tigers, Rowan helped build the program into one of the nation's top 15 programs.

"We are very excited to have Patrick come back to Nebraska," Morales said. "He brings extensive and successful coaching and recruiting experience at the collegiate level.  Patrick has a tremendous work ethic and an unmatched passion for Nebraska. He will make an immediate impact on this program and play a key role in helping us achieve our Big Ten Conference and NCAA goals."

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 for the women's team. The Tiger men's program's 2011 recruiting class was ranked seventh nationally by collegeswimming.com, while the women's class was ranked 18th in the country. He also 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. Rowan assisted primarily with Nebraska's breaststroke and individual medley swimmers.

From 2002 until 2007, Rowan served as the head coach and general manager of the Nebraska Aquatics swim team, where he was the primary coach of the high school and collegiate swimmers. He also served as an age group coach for swimmers from ages 6 to 24 for Nebraska Aquatics from 2000 to 2002.

From 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, after being named its Age Group Coach of the Year in 2004-05. 

A competitive swimmer from 1985 to 2001, Rowan swam collegiately at Eastern Michigan, helping EMU to a pair of Mid-American Conference championship teams. Individually, he was a 12-time finalist at the MAC Championships for the Eagles.

As a prep swimmer at Lincoln Southeast, Rowan was a two-time Nebraska Class A state champion and a member of a state championship team for the Knights. He was also a team captain and a seven-time Junior National qualifier.

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 is currently pursuing a Ph.D. with a similar emphasis in sport psychology.

He and his wife, Miranda, have a daughter, Reese.