Kansas State University Athletics
Rowing
Sweeney, Patrick
Patrick Sweeney
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- (785) 532-3739
Features (click on headline for link)
Entering his 22nd season at Kansas State, Patrick Sweeney brings more than 40 years of international and collegiate coaching experience to the Wildcat women’s rowing program, including tenures with the British and Belgian Olympic teams.
As the second coach in Wildcats' rowing history, Sweeney arrived in Manhattan in 2003 after a one-year appointment as the associate men's varsity coach at Stanford. Prior to his year there, Sweeney was head coach and technical director of the Belgian Olympic Team for six years.
The top crew of Sweeney's K-State tenure was the 2008-09 1V8+. Their accolades include capturing gold at the Head of the Des Moines, defeating Alabama on its own Black Warrior River and clenching a tightly contested third place at the San Diego Crew Classic. The crew would go on to a convincing victory over rival Kansas to secure the Kansas Cup before claiming the gold medal at the Big 12 Championship.
The 2013-14 season was headlined with several firsts for the K-State rowing program, including the programs first Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in Noelle Dykmann. The team won five gold medals and a bronze medal at SIRAs for the first time in program history and prior to the postseason, defended their Sunflower Showdown title for a fourth-consecutive season against Kansas.
At Big 12s, the Wildcats finished a close second to Oklahoma, highlighted by a gold medal showing by the 2V4 and runner-up efforts from both the 1V8+ and 2V8+. At C-USAs, the Wildcats depth shined through once again with the 1V4 nabbing gold to headline a third-place finish.
The Wildcats finished in the top-3 at Big 12 on six other occasions, including consecutive years from 2017-19. bronze medal performances by the 1V8+ and 2V8+.
With Sweeney, K-State took home the Kansas Cup 11 times, most recently in 2023, and earning consecutive wins on four occasions in 2005-06, 2008-09, 2011-14 and 2018-19.
During the 2017-18 season, Sweeney led the Wildcats to a number of accomplishments, including leading K-State to win the Sunflower Showdown over rival Kansas and a third-place team finish at the Big 12 Championship. In addition, Sweeney guided Kennedy Felice and Mattie Warner to All-Big 12 selections.
K-State continued its success under Sweeney during the 2018-19 season, where the Wildcats won their second-straight Sunflower Showdown over rival Kansas, sweeping the Jayhawks 22-0. The Wildcats then went on to place third among Big 12 programs at the Big 12 Championship, on their way to earning the 2019 Co-Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year award after overcoming the loss of teammate Samantha Scott.
During his tenure at K-State, Sweeney prioritized academics, evident by the four Rowing Big 12 Scholar-Athletes of the Year; Jadyn Greisen (2022), Molly Ross (2019), Megan Murray (2015) and Allison Dorau (2014). Murray, Ross and Madison Jensen were K-State's nominee for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award in 2015, 2019 and 2022.
In addition, 108 student-athletes have earned the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) National Scholar-Athlete Award since 2006 to go along with 10 CRCA All-Region selections. Sweeney produced countless conference award winners with 23 All-Big 12 Conference honorees, 351 Academic All-Big 12 selections and 27 student-athletes have received the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, the Big 12’s highest academic honor, since 2011.
A multiple-time champion as a coxswain, Sweeney began his competitive career at the age of 12 for club crews in England. He eventually progressed to the British National Team, where he competed as a coxswain in eight World Championships (two gold, three silver) and three Olympic Games (one silver, one bronze).
As an international coach, Sweeney took crews to 11 World Championships and four Olympic Games. He has collected two gold, two silver and one bronze medal at the World Championships and one gold and one bronze at the Olympics. In addition, he won four national championships while coaching at the University of California.
Sweeney and his wife, Martha, reside in Manhattan, and have one daughter, Toula.
- Overseeing 22 Years of Growth (K-State Sports Extra, May 29, 2025)
Entering his 22nd season at Kansas State, Patrick Sweeney brings more than 40 years of international and collegiate coaching experience to the Wildcat women’s rowing program, including tenures with the British and Belgian Olympic teams.
As the second coach in Wildcats' rowing history, Sweeney arrived in Manhattan in 2003 after a one-year appointment as the associate men's varsity coach at Stanford. Prior to his year there, Sweeney was head coach and technical director of the Belgian Olympic Team for six years.
The top crew of Sweeney's K-State tenure was the 2008-09 1V8+. Their accolades include capturing gold at the Head of the Des Moines, defeating Alabama on its own Black Warrior River and clenching a tightly contested third place at the San Diego Crew Classic. The crew would go on to a convincing victory over rival Kansas to secure the Kansas Cup before claiming the gold medal at the Big 12 Championship.
The 2013-14 season was headlined with several firsts for the K-State rowing program, including the programs first Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in Noelle Dykmann. The team won five gold medals and a bronze medal at SIRAs for the first time in program history and prior to the postseason, defended their Sunflower Showdown title for a fourth-consecutive season against Kansas.
At Big 12s, the Wildcats finished a close second to Oklahoma, highlighted by a gold medal showing by the 2V4 and runner-up efforts from both the 1V8+ and 2V8+. At C-USAs, the Wildcats depth shined through once again with the 1V4 nabbing gold to headline a third-place finish.
The Wildcats finished in the top-3 at Big 12 on six other occasions, including consecutive years from 2017-19. bronze medal performances by the 1V8+ and 2V8+.
With Sweeney, K-State took home the Kansas Cup 11 times, most recently in 2023, and earning consecutive wins on four occasions in 2005-06, 2008-09, 2011-14 and 2018-19.
During the 2017-18 season, Sweeney led the Wildcats to a number of accomplishments, including leading K-State to win the Sunflower Showdown over rival Kansas and a third-place team finish at the Big 12 Championship. In addition, Sweeney guided Kennedy Felice and Mattie Warner to All-Big 12 selections.
K-State continued its success under Sweeney during the 2018-19 season, where the Wildcats won their second-straight Sunflower Showdown over rival Kansas, sweeping the Jayhawks 22-0. The Wildcats then went on to place third among Big 12 programs at the Big 12 Championship, on their way to earning the 2019 Co-Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year award after overcoming the loss of teammate Samantha Scott.
During his tenure at K-State, Sweeney prioritized academics, evident by the four Rowing Big 12 Scholar-Athletes of the Year; Jadyn Greisen (2022), Molly Ross (2019), Megan Murray (2015) and Allison Dorau (2014). Murray, Ross and Madison Jensen were K-State's nominee for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award in 2015, 2019 and 2022.
In addition, 108 student-athletes have earned the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) National Scholar-Athlete Award since 2006 to go along with 10 CRCA All-Region selections. Sweeney produced countless conference award winners with 23 All-Big 12 Conference honorees, 351 Academic All-Big 12 selections and 27 student-athletes have received the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, the Big 12’s highest academic honor, since 2011.
A multiple-time champion as a coxswain, Sweeney began his competitive career at the age of 12 for club crews in England. He eventually progressed to the British National Team, where he competed as a coxswain in eight World Championships (two gold, three silver) and three Olympic Games (one silver, one bronze).
As an international coach, Sweeney took crews to 11 World Championships and four Olympic Games. He has collected two gold, two silver and one bronze medal at the World Championships and one gold and one bronze at the Olympics. In addition, he won four national championships while coaching at the University of California.
Sweeney and his wife, Martha, reside in Manhattan, and have one daughter, Toula.
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