Bob Ernst
When Bob Ernst was named crew program coordinator and head mens coach in 1988, he began work with the intent of re-establishing Washington as a dominant force in mens intercollegiate rowing.
To say he has succeeded would be an understatement.
In 1997, Ernst led the Huskies to the pinnacle of the sport, as the varsity, junior varsity and freshmen men swept the top three races at the IRA Championships in Camden, New Jersey. It marked the the second time in school history the Huskies have accomplished the feat, with the first sweep coming in 1950.
In the prestigious Varsity Challenge Cup, it was the 11th time in school history the Huskies claimed the top honor, dating all the way back to the first win in 1923. Recently, it was the first for the Huskies since 1984. The junior varsity crew picked up its 10th all-time victory in the Kennedy Challenge Cup as did the freshmen in the Stewards Cup.
Along with the season-ending accolades came an undefeated season. Ernst led the Huskies to a seventh straight Windermere Cup victory, a third straight Copley Cup at the San Diego Crew Classic and an eighth straight Pac-10 Conference title in 1997.
For his efforts, Ernst was honored as Pacific-10 Conference Coach of the Year for the eighth time in his career.
His coaching efforts and accolades are not confined to the Husky mens program. Ernst, in his 11th year as the program coordinator, began his tenure at Washington in 1975. As the mens assistant coach, he guided the frosh crews to five Pac-10 Conference titles from 1975 to 1980.
Ernst spent the following seven years (1981-87) as head coach of the womens program, where he guided the Huskies to national prominence. His varsity crews won six national titles over the next seven years. In his inaugural season, the women brought home Washingtons first national team championship when both his varsity and junior varsity crews earned national titles. The two crews repeated the feat again the next year and his varsity went on the claim four more titles, in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1987. In his final season, his rowers swept the top three races at the national championships, winning the varsity, junior varsity and varsity four titles. Ernst received his first Pac-10 Womens Coach of the Year honor following the season.
Ernst, 52, was named head mens coach and rowing program coordinator in 1988, succeeding Dick Erickson,who had concluded a 20-year coaching tenure.
Now in his 11th year as head of the mens program, Ernst continues to promote Husky rowing around the country and in international rowing circles. He took his junior varsity and varsity crews to the Henley Royal Regatta in July, 1997, the third trip he has made in his tenure as head mens coach. In the Ladies Challenge plate, the Washington varsity provided the closest contest of the regatta, racing the British National Lightweight crew who eventually handed the Huskies their first loss of the season, by a margin of one foot. The junior varsity competed in the Temple Challenge, reaching the semi-finals before falling to a crew of Oxford University rowers.
He took his crews to Henley in 1991 and 1995 as well. The 91 varsity crew also raced in the Ladies Challenge Plate, and won its first round against Oxford. In 95, the junior varsity advanced to the final round of its race while the varsity advanced to the semi-finals of the Ladies Challenge Plate.
In addition to competing at Henley, several of Ernsts rowers have gone on to compete on junior national, national and Olympic teams. This past September, current varsity stroke Bob Cummins was a part of the gold medal-winning US National Team at the World Championships in Chambery, France.
While his rowers have earned recognition for their efforts on the water, Ernst has been recognized for his coaching endeavors. He was the U.S. National Team coach in 1976, traveling with the team to Amsterdam, New Zealand, Belgium, Germany, Yugoslavia, Seoul and Switzerland. He has coached in four Olympic Games (1976, 80 84, 88) and in 1984, he directed the womens eight-oared crew to its first gold medal in Olympic history at the games in Los Angeles. He served as the United States National Team coach and again directed the womens eight in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ernst worked with NBC Television providing color commentary for the rowing events.
He was recognized locally for his coaching achievements in 1982 when he was a finalist for The Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sports Star of the Year Award.
Ernst began his coaching career at his alma mater, the University of California, Irvine, in 1968, and coached the varsity to a second place finish at the Western Sprints in 1974. He was inducted into the schools athletic hall of fame in 1984.
During his collegiate career, Ernst attended Orange Coast College for two years, where he played center on the 1963 national championship junior college football team and competed in swimming and water polo. He then transferred to UC-Irvine, where he continued his swimming and water polo career. Ernst was also a member of Irvines crew in 1966 and 1967 and was team captain as a senior. He is a 1963 graduate of Costa Mesa (Calif.) High School.
Ernst earned his bachelors degree in biology from Irvine in 1967 and received his masters degree in Sports Administration from the University of Washington in 1979.
He resides in Edmonds with his wife, Ellen, their son Thomas, and daughter Abigail.
