Karly Braun - Rowing Coach - University of Tennessee Athletics

Karly Braun

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
kbraun4@utk.edu

No stranger to Rocky Top, Braun served as a graduate assistant for two seasons with the Lady Vols from 2015-17. She then spent six years at Wisconsin, where she began as the lightweight women's freshmen coach before being promoted to assistant coach ahead of the 2020-21 campaign. In addition to her coaching duties, she also acted as the Badgers’ recruiting coordinator.

During her first stint with Tennessee rowing, Braun created a mental training program, coached the novice program and helped with boat maintenance. She was also involved in on-campus recruiting and marketing of the team. While at UT, Braun competed her masters in kinesiology, focusing on sport psychology and motor behavior.

“I’m really excited to be back on Rocky Top,” Braun said. “Since leaving after my graduate studies, I knew I wanted to come back and help make this program a powerhouse. With Kim’s leadership and the rest of our staff, I really believe we will make Tennessee Rowing big time.”

In her first season back in Knoxville, Braun helped lead Tennessee to its best season in program history. The Lady Vols ascended to No. 3 in the CRCA national rankings by season’s end, and placed third nationally—a program-best finish—at the 2024 NCAA Championships.

Braun and the rest of the Tennessee coaching staff earned the CRCA National Staff of the Year Award for their remarkable efforts in 2023-24.

At the 2024 Big 12 Championships, the Lady Vols tied their best-ever finish, placing second as a team and medaling in all five boats. Tennessee’s five CRCA All-Americans in 2023-24 marked a program record, as UT upped its all-time First Team All-American count from three to seven.

Prior to rowing at Tennessee, Braun spent six months as assistant junior rowing coach at The King's School in Canterbury, United Kingdom, where she organized travel and training camps and organized the school's King's Invitational Match Regatta, in addition to her coaching duties.

“We are incredibly fortunate to be able to bring a coach of Karly’s caliber to our team and back to Tennessee,” Cupini said. “Karly returns to Rocky Top after serving as the graduate assistant from 2015-17. Her degree, experience, and knowledge in mental health training allows her to understand what it takes to drive and sustain an elite team culture.”

The Corvallis, Oregon, native rowed at Oregon State during her time as an undergraduate from 2009 through 2013, then spent the 2013-14 season as an undergraduate assistant coach for the Beavers, coaching the team's novice eight. She also coached a year with the Masters Corvallis Rowing Club in 2013-14 and was involved with U.S. junior national team rowing camps in 2016.