BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – In his 20th season leading Indiana rowing, head coach Steve Peterson is the Big Ten Coach of the Year per the conference announcement Thursday (May 18) morning.

The 2014 CRCA National Head Coach of the Year, Peterson is the first Big Ten Coach of the year in the program’s history in a season of firsts for IU rowing.

On Sunday (May 14), Indiana recorded a program-record third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships, highlighted by three medalist boats which tied that program record. Indiana’s Varsity Eight earned its best-ever performance at the conference competition with a dramatic silver medal finish. Indiana Second Varsity Four and Second Novice Eight each took bronze, and no IU boat finished lower than fifth.

For its historic performance, Indiana earned an at-large selection to the 2023 NCAA Rowing Championships set for May 26-28 in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Peterson has led the Hoosiers to the national regatta seven times in the last nine full seasons.

Indiana has earned Big Ten postseason specialty awards each of the last two seasons. Peterson’s award comes after he helped Laura Feinson earn the program’s second Big Ten Athlete of the Year honor in 2022 and first since 2016. For the first time in program history, four Hoosiers earned All-Big Ten honors in 2023. Feinson repeated as a first teamer and was joined by fellow senior Piper Maaka, a second-team selection last year. Senior Ruby Leverington and freshman Emily Bowden earned second-team selections.

During his Indiana tenure, Peterson has coached 14 All-American and 44 All-Big Ten selections.

Thursday’s award is Peterson third-ever conference coach of the year award. Peterson repeated as Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year from 2000-01 before taking over at IU in 2003.

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