Photo of Beau Hoopman

Beau Hoopman

Olympic champion, National Rowing and UW Athletics Hall of Famer and 12-year UW men's assistant rowing coach Beau Hoopman took over the Wisconsin men's rowing program in the summer of 2023 as just the program's fourth head coach since 1946.

A 2003 UW graduate, Hoopman rejoined the nine-time, national-champion Badgers as a volunteer coach for the 2010-11 school year, before becoming an assistant coach beginning with the 2011-12 season.

Inducted into the National Rowing Hall of Fame in March 2010 and a 2014 Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Hoopman spent four years on the Wisconsin rowing team from 1999-2003 and nine years on the U.S. National Team from 2001-09, where he won Olympic gold and bronze medals.

Before coming to Wisconsin as a walk-on freshman in 1999, Hoopman played golf at Plymouth High School (Wis.) and had no experience in rowing.

During his collegiate career, however, Hoopman was named captain and led the Badgers to the 2002 Eastern Sprints varsity eight title, Wisconsin's first since 1946. He also helped UW win its fourth consecutive Ten Eyck Trophy as team champion at the 2002 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships with his varsity eight finishing as national runners-up.

After graduating from UW-Madison with a degree in biological aspects of conservation in 2003, Hoopman participated in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. He was a member of the men's eight boat that won the gold medal and set a world record in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, becoming the first UW men's rower to win gold. Hoopman was also a bronze medalist in the men's eight at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

Hoopman started a nine-year stint on the U.S. National Team in 2001 on the under-23 team before moving up to the senior squad in 2002. In addition to his two Olympic trips, Hoopman won gold at the 2005 World Championships and bronze at the 2006 Worlds in the men's eight as part of multiple medals in national and international events.

Hoopman's is one of two Olympic champion head coaches at Wisconsin, joining women's hockey head coach Mark Johnson in the select club.