Michael Eichler - Director of Rowing - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Michael Eichler

Title:
Director of Rowing
Email:
Phone:
541-360-2693

Michael Eichler was announced as the head coach of Oregon State women’s rowing on July 2, 2024, bringing more than a decade of experience to the team and having previously spent seven seasons as a member of the Beavers' coaching staff.

In his first season as head coach, Eichler led the team to its first ever conference championship in dominant fashion, winning every single race across a two-day regatta to finish with 54 total points, which was the maximum number a team could win. Eichler’s Beavs swept the All-West Coast Conference Awards, which featured Rhianna Loughnan earning Rower of the Year, Taylor Denger as Coxswain of the Year, and freshman Linda Weitmann winning Newcomer of the Year.

Coming off the heels of a strong regular season that featured a run of four-consecutive weeks with ranked wins for the 1V8 and a total of 15 different individual boat victories, which included a dominant performance at Washington State where OSU won six of seven total races, Eichler was named West Coast Conference Coach of the Year and added CRCA Region 5 Coach of the Year honors while his staff was named Regional Staff of the Year.

He originally joined the program in 2017 as an assistant coach and was elevated to associate head coach in September of 2022, also serving as the program's recruiting coordinator for each of his seven seasons. Under his tutelage, the second varsity eight recorded fourth place finishes in back-to-back Pac-12 Championships, while compiling a 24-7 win record in 2023.

He was part of the staff that guided the team to the 2022 NCAA Championships, where OSU earned a 14^th place finish in both the varsity eight and second varsity eight while placing 16^th in the varsity four.

In 2019, OSU finished in the top-five at the Pac-12 Championship for the first time since 2009. Senior Alina Hagstrom became the fourth rower in Oregon State history to garner all-conference honors twice in her career, while becoming just the third Beaver rower to twice be named an All-American.

The Beavers also made a return to the top-20 rankings, as his second season saw the Beavers' varsity eight peak at No. 16 nationally, the team's highest ranking since 2009.

Across his time as an assistant, Eichler coached and developed five CRCA All-American rowers and was responsible for the signing of over 60 student-athletes, including multiple U23 and U19 national team members, while also developing and executing fundraising plans and building relationships with the Oregon State rowing alumni group.

Prior to his arrival in Corvallis, Eichler worked with the United States Junior National Team for five years, training junior men that specialized in small boats. Responsible for evaluating and recommending athletes for selection camps, he also led seminars on college recruiting and advancement in the US National Team system.

Coach Eichler also worked at Rutgers and Princeton University, where he oversaw the on-campus recruiting operations, while simultaneously bettering retention of walk-on rowers and coxswains.

His coaching career began at The Hewitt School as the head crew coach. He created and executed program rules, standards and training plan for a first-year scholastic crew, eventually leading the team to its first medal in program history.

Eichler graduated from Binghamton University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Asian & Asian-American Studies, having competed on the men's crew team and serving as a team captain.