Trowbridge Announces Coaching Staff Additions, Title Change

NORMAN — University of Oklahoma head rowing coach Sarah Trowbridge announced two additions to her coaching staff and one staff title change ahead of the 2023-24 season on Tuesday.

Leah Pearman, who served in various positions in the OU rowing program the last two years, was named director of operations and assistant coach, while Hannah Malzahn and Maria Pergouli joined the Sooners as assistant coaches. Malzahn spent the last two seasons as the first assistant women's rowing coach and lead recruiter at Darmouth College. Pergouli, who rowed at OU, spent the 2022-23 school year as a human resources intern in the OU Athletics Department.

"I feel lucky to have a group of coaches that shares the same passion for the sport and the program," Trowbridge said. "Leah, Hannah, and Maria are great contributors to our pursuit of a remarkable team experience and successes both in life and on the water for our athletes".

Pearman spent the 2021-22 OU season as a volunteer rowing coach and the 2022-23 campaign as graduate assistant rowing coach and interim director of operations. Moving forward, in addition to her operations duties, Pearman will also serve in an assistant coaching role for the novice team. A former Sooners rower, the Mason, Texas product began her journey with the program as a novice walk-on (2018-2021) and graduated from OU with degrees in international security studies and environmental sustainability: science and resources. She also received an OU graduate certificate in geographic information science. Pearman is currently completing her master's degree at OU in geography and environmental sustainability: environmental systems.

Malzahn, an Edmond, Okla., native, returns to the Sooner State following her time at Dartmouth (2021-23), where was responsible for recruiting incoming athletes and coaching the V4+ and 2V4+ boats during the season. Before Dartmouth, she spent two seasons as an assistant at Central Oklahoma (2019-21), where she was responsible for recruiting and coaching the Varsity 4+ during the spring season. In 2021, The Bronchos won the inaugural Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship before claiming their third consecutive NCAA title. She also helped coach the USRowing U18 High Performance Rowing Camp that competed at club nationals in 2019.

As an athlete at Yale, Malzahn was a coxswain on the women's rowing team for three seasons (2016-19), earning All-Ivy League honors while leading the Varsity 8+ boat to medalist finishes in the Ivy League Championship and a top-four finish at the Henley Royal Regatta. From 2009-15, Malzahn was the coxswain for OKC Riversport and won three medals at the Head of the Charles Regatta in the junior women's varsity 8+. Adding to her resume, she was the coxswain for the US Junior National Women's 8+ team and claimed bronze at the 2015 Junior World Rowing Championship in Rio de Janeiro. She also earned a gold medal in the women's lightweight 4+ at the Junior National Championship in 2014.

Pergouli, who is from Thessaloniki, Greece, begins her coaching career after competing on the OU rowing team from 2017-22. She collected numerous accolades during her time as a student-athlete, including Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors in 2018 and finishing perfect at the Big 12 Double Dual as a part of the 1V8. Prior to her collegiate career, Pergouli placed first at the 2017 World Rowing Coastal Championships, finished third at the 2017 World Rowing U23 Championships and won the national championship 12 times. She graduated from OU with a bachelor's degree in social sciences in 2021 and earned her master's in human relations in 2023.

The Sooners will begin year two of the Trowbridge era later this year. OU's 2023-24 schedule will be announced soon.