Completed Event: Rowing versus Head of the Oklahoma on October 4, 2025
Final
Rowing
vs Head of the Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Rowing Coach Leeanne Crain Announces Retirement
June 21, 2022 | Rowing
NORMAN — Leeanne Crain, the only rowing head coach the University of Oklahoma has ever known, announced her retirement Tuesday following 14 seasons in charge of the OU program.
Named OU's head rowing coach in 2008 by Vice President and Athletics Director Joe Castiglione, Crain directed the Sooners to back-to-back Big 12 and Conference USA titles in 2013 and '14, as well as NCAA Championship appearances those seasons. OU finished 17th nationally in 2013 and 19th in 2014.
"It's been an incredible 14-year journey and I'm so grateful for my time at the University of Oklahoma," said Crain. "I'll forever cherish the experience of building the OU program from the ground up and having the opportunity to coach so many inspiring young women. I want to thank Joe Castiglione and (Assistant AD and sport administrator) Joey Bailey for their leadership and support. I also want to thank the current and former assistant coaches and support staff members for their investment in our team. Lastly but most importantly, I want to extend my gratitude to all of the student-athletes who've come through our program. Together we've created something very special and I'm excited to watch the continued development of the team under new leadership."
Crain's OU squads finished in the top two at the Big 12 Championship in 10 of the 12 years the Sooners competed in the event. She was named Big 12 Coach of the Year three straight seasons (2012-14) and Conference USA Coach of the Year in both 2013 and '14. She was also named the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association South Region Coach of the Year in 2013, and OU's staff was named CRCA Region 3 Coach Staff of the year in 2017.
Crain produced seven conference rower-of-the-year awards (four Big 12 and three Conference USA) and five conference newcomer-of-the-year awards, including three straight from 2017-19. All told, her rowers earned 43 All-Big 12 honors.
"We can't thank Leeanne enough for all she's done during her time at OU, most notably, of course, helping to launch our rowing program and presiding over it so admirably for almost a decade and a half," said Castiglione. "It was fun watching her teams get better and better those first several years, culminating with conference championships and NCAA Championship appearances. And the academic prowess of her student-athletes was second to none in our department, as evidenced by the nearly 300 academic all-conference selections during her tenure. We congratulate Leeanne on a job well done and certainly wish her the best in the next phase of her life."
The California native also watched her student-athletes excel in the classroom. Twenty-two Sooners earned the Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, the Big 12's highest academic honor, and 278 earned Academic All-Big 12 accolades (245 first-team selections).
Eight OU rowers earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors, including Marissa Beene, who was an Academic All-American in 2016. Beene ('16) and Louise Kuehster ('19) were named Big 12 Rowing Scholar Athlete of the Year, while Nikki Furmanek ('13) was named a Conference USA Scholar Athlete.
A former member of the UCLA and U.S. National rowing teams, Crain came to OU after head coaching stints at both the University of San Diego and the University of Central Florida where she led the Golden Knights to an NCAA appearance in 2007.
Castiglione said a search to hire Crain's successor will begin immediately.
Named OU's head rowing coach in 2008 by Vice President and Athletics Director Joe Castiglione, Crain directed the Sooners to back-to-back Big 12 and Conference USA titles in 2013 and '14, as well as NCAA Championship appearances those seasons. OU finished 17th nationally in 2013 and 19th in 2014.
"It's been an incredible 14-year journey and I'm so grateful for my time at the University of Oklahoma," said Crain. "I'll forever cherish the experience of building the OU program from the ground up and having the opportunity to coach so many inspiring young women. I want to thank Joe Castiglione and (Assistant AD and sport administrator) Joey Bailey for their leadership and support. I also want to thank the current and former assistant coaches and support staff members for their investment in our team. Lastly but most importantly, I want to extend my gratitude to all of the student-athletes who've come through our program. Together we've created something very special and I'm excited to watch the continued development of the team under new leadership."
Crain's OU squads finished in the top two at the Big 12 Championship in 10 of the 12 years the Sooners competed in the event. She was named Big 12 Coach of the Year three straight seasons (2012-14) and Conference USA Coach of the Year in both 2013 and '14. She was also named the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association South Region Coach of the Year in 2013, and OU's staff was named CRCA Region 3 Coach Staff of the year in 2017.
Crain produced seven conference rower-of-the-year awards (four Big 12 and three Conference USA) and five conference newcomer-of-the-year awards, including three straight from 2017-19. All told, her rowers earned 43 All-Big 12 honors.
"We can't thank Leeanne enough for all she's done during her time at OU, most notably, of course, helping to launch our rowing program and presiding over it so admirably for almost a decade and a half," said Castiglione. "It was fun watching her teams get better and better those first several years, culminating with conference championships and NCAA Championship appearances. And the academic prowess of her student-athletes was second to none in our department, as evidenced by the nearly 300 academic all-conference selections during her tenure. We congratulate Leeanne on a job well done and certainly wish her the best in the next phase of her life."
The California native also watched her student-athletes excel in the classroom. Twenty-two Sooners earned the Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, the Big 12's highest academic honor, and 278 earned Academic All-Big 12 accolades (245 first-team selections).
Eight OU rowers earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors, including Marissa Beene, who was an Academic All-American in 2016. Beene ('16) and Louise Kuehster ('19) were named Big 12 Rowing Scholar Athlete of the Year, while Nikki Furmanek ('13) was named a Conference USA Scholar Athlete.
A former member of the UCLA and U.S. National rowing teams, Crain came to OU after head coaching stints at both the University of San Diego and the University of Central Florida where she led the Golden Knights to an NCAA appearance in 2007.
Castiglione said a search to hire Crain's successor will begin immediately.
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