Gabe Winkler Hired as Head Men?s Rowing Coach
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Gabe Winkler, who replaced Steve Todd at the helm of the Oregon State men’s rowing program last fall on an interim basis will assume the permanent role effective immediately, Vice President/Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury announced Friday.
“I’m grateful for the foundation that Coach Todd laid and am proud of the work I put in with him,” Winkler said. “This past year, with the opportunity to direct the team myself I grew exponentially as a coach. I’m excited to make this official and to move forward knowing my future is set with this program.”
“Gabe has done a fantastic job for Oregon State rowing, not just last season but for his entire time in Corvallis,” Stansbury said. “It was not a difficult decision to retain Gabe as our head rowing coach. He’s a great coach who has the best interests of our student-athletes at the forefront of everything he does.”
Last season, as the interim head coach, Winkler led the Beavers back to a third place finish at the Pac-12 Rowing Championships with bronze medal finishes by the Second Varsity 8, Third Varsity 8 and Novice 8 crews. In addition, Oregon State returned to the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championships in May where the Varsity 8 finished 21st in the nation. At midseason, Winkler’s V8 rowed to victory over then-No. 11 Wisconsin at the Pac-12 Challenge. The Beavers’ V8 ranked as high as No. 13 in 2015.
Winkler originally arrived on the banks of the Willamette River in September 2008 when he was charged with building the Beavers’ novice program. His work with the novices paid off in medals with OSU’s Freshman 8 racing to the podium for four straight years at the Pac-12 Championships.
Prior to OSU, Winkler spent two seasons as the men’s lightweight coach at Rutgers University where he was responsible for all aspects of the lightweight crew including teaching technique, training and recruiting.
His rowing resume is impressive as well including international success in both sweep and sculling events; in both lightweight and heavyweight divisions. In 2007, Winkler won a gold, in the heavyweight 8+, and silver, in the heavyweight 4-, at the Pan-American Games. He was also part of a gold medal crew at the 2000 World Championships in the lightweight 8+.
A 1999 graduate of Cornell University, Winkler has a degree in plant science. He and his wife, Rachel, live in Corvallis.
