Dynasty founded, what's next? Texas rowing head coach confident about 2025 season – The Daily Texan

In June, Texas Rowing solidified itself as the NCAA's newest rowing dynasty.

Texas Rowing needed a time of about six minutes and nine seconds in the First Varsity Eight to secure the 2024 National Championship. The race resulted in a three-point margin of victory between Texas at 130 and second-place Stanford at 127. Texas became the third team in NCAA history to win three national championships in four years, doing so back-to-back in 2021 and 2022 .

Under Texas rowing head coach Dave O'Neill, the Longhorns have finished in the top eight of the NCAA tournament every year. This season there are the same expectations but with a more experienced approach.

“Everyone on this squad has a better understanding of how to get there in terms of the day-to-day, leadership, effort and attitude required within the team culture,” O’Neill said.

Prior to O'Neill's ninth season with Texas, the SEC announced it would host the first-ever SEC Rowing Conference Championship. Texas joins familiar faces like Oklahoma, Tennessee and Alabama in making the transition from the Big 12.

“We did well in the Big 12, but now that we're moving into the SEC, we want to continue our tradition of conference excellence,” O'Neill said.

O'Neill also acknowledged the rise of Tennessee as a contender. The Vols trailed Texas by 12 points in June and secured the third overall podium spot. The face behind the success is the first grader Head coach Kim Cupini. Cupini led the Vols to their best-ever NCAA rowing finish and was named the 2024 CRCA National Coach of the Year along the way. The friendship between Cupini and O'Neill dates back to their participation in the West Coast Conference in San Diego and the University of California-Berkeley, respectively.

“The only thing that’s changed is the Tennessee program,” O’Neill said. “They made a leap in speed last year. The first year in the SEC Championship, I think it's going to be a hard-fought battle for sure… (Cupini) has done well everywhere, so it's no surprise that Tennessee is doing well.”

In addition to the Vols' rise, the Longhorns lost key athletes like Anna Jensen, a three-time national champion with Texas. Nevertheless, O'Neill is confident the team will overcome this challenge.

“People are taking on these leadership roles,” O’Neill said. “People grow up, they mature, they get better, and it’s really cool to be a part of that and see that. Every year is different, but I think we have a pretty good understanding of what needs to be done.”