Men's Rowing
Urbanik, Alex
Alex Urbanik
- Title:
- Steven J. '69 & Karen A. Lee Assistant Rowing Coach
- Email:
- sau216@lehigh.edu
- Phone:
- 610-758-6614
Alex Urbanik enters his third season as the Steven J. ’69 & Karen A. Lee assistant rowing coach in 2018-19. Named to the position in July of 2016, Urbanik came to Lehigh from the Newport Rowing Club, where he was since 2012, serving as assistant coach from 2012-13 then varsity coach since December of 2013.
Urbanik has made an immediate impact with Lehigh’s women’s team, helping the Mountain Hawks post their best two finishes at the Patriot League Championships in program history. In 2017, Lehigh’s 26 points were most in school history, tying for sixth out of nine teams overall. The Mountain Hawks followed in 2018 by tying for fourth with 33 points. Lehigh won the first two medals in school history, as the Varsity Four and Second Varsity Eight each won bronze. The Mountain Hawks entered the final race of the day just two points out of first place.
In 2017-18, the women’s team cracked the NCAA Regional Rankings for the first time in school history and won its first Patriot League Boat of the Week in program history (Second Varsity Eight on Apr. 3). Jules Malachin was named second team All-League while garnering All-Region recognition by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association for a second consecutive year. Liz Gagliardi also earned first team All-Patriot League in 2017 as Lehigh’s Varsity Eight finished in fifth place overall, ahead of rival Bucknell.
Academically, Elise Fredericks garnered Academic All-League honors in 2017 while both Fredericks and Sarah Boyer were recognized in 2018.
Urbanik began his coaching career in 2004-05 as the head freshman heavyweight coach for the University of Delaware men’s team. While there, he recruited walk-on student-athletes and high school seniors to a top men’s rowing program. Urbanik planned and executed practices, maintained equipment and managed boats.
After an extended time away from the sport, Urbanik got back into coaching in 2012 and has thrived with the Newport Rowing Club. As assistant coach from 2012-13, he trained and developed novice rowers, created seasonal training plans and assisted the varsity coaches. Urbanik then became varsity coach in December of 2013, a role he has served ever since. In addition to his previous responsibilities, he aided athletes and parents with the college recruitment process while helping develop physical, technical and mental skills.
Urbanik’s rowers have enjoyed tremendous success. In 2013, his Men’s Novice Four took first place at the Long Island Junior Championship and placed second in the Mid-Atlantic Championship. The following year, the Women’s Lightweight Varsity Four finished third in the Mercer Lake/ISA Sculling Championships, the Cooper Cup and the Mid-Atlantic Junior Championship. Then in 2015, the crew continued to impress, which included finishing third in the Mid-Atlantic Junior Championship while the Varsity Pair came in second.
Urbanik has earned USRowing Level 2 Certification. He graduated from Delaware in 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a Film Concentration, minoring in Coaching Sciences.
Urbanik has made an immediate impact with Lehigh’s women’s team, helping the Mountain Hawks post their best two finishes at the Patriot League Championships in program history. In 2017, Lehigh’s 26 points were most in school history, tying for sixth out of nine teams overall. The Mountain Hawks followed in 2018 by tying for fourth with 33 points. Lehigh won the first two medals in school history, as the Varsity Four and Second Varsity Eight each won bronze. The Mountain Hawks entered the final race of the day just two points out of first place.
In 2017-18, the women’s team cracked the NCAA Regional Rankings for the first time in school history and won its first Patriot League Boat of the Week in program history (Second Varsity Eight on Apr. 3). Jules Malachin was named second team All-League while garnering All-Region recognition by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association for a second consecutive year. Liz Gagliardi also earned first team All-Patriot League in 2017 as Lehigh’s Varsity Eight finished in fifth place overall, ahead of rival Bucknell.
Academically, Elise Fredericks garnered Academic All-League honors in 2017 while both Fredericks and Sarah Boyer were recognized in 2018.
Urbanik began his coaching career in 2004-05 as the head freshman heavyweight coach for the University of Delaware men’s team. While there, he recruited walk-on student-athletes and high school seniors to a top men’s rowing program. Urbanik planned and executed practices, maintained equipment and managed boats.
After an extended time away from the sport, Urbanik got back into coaching in 2012 and has thrived with the Newport Rowing Club. As assistant coach from 2012-13, he trained and developed novice rowers, created seasonal training plans and assisted the varsity coaches. Urbanik then became varsity coach in December of 2013, a role he has served ever since. In addition to his previous responsibilities, he aided athletes and parents with the college recruitment process while helping develop physical, technical and mental skills.
Urbanik’s rowers have enjoyed tremendous success. In 2013, his Men’s Novice Four took first place at the Long Island Junior Championship and placed second in the Mid-Atlantic Championship. The following year, the Women’s Lightweight Varsity Four finished third in the Mercer Lake/ISA Sculling Championships, the Cooper Cup and the Mid-Atlantic Junior Championship. Then in 2015, the crew continued to impress, which included finishing third in the Mid-Atlantic Junior Championship while the Varsity Pair came in second.
Urbanik has earned USRowing Level 2 Certification. He graduated from Delaware in 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a Film Concentration, minoring in Coaching Sciences.
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