Carroll "Ky" Ebright
Washington's Assistant Coach 1917-1923
California's Crew Coach 1924-1959
Carroll "Ky" Ebright was born in Chicago, but grew up in Seattle when his family moved there in 1900. He graduated from the University of Washington in 1917 after serving as coxswain of Washington's varsity crew. He was the last coxswain trained by Hiram Conibear. He served as a flying instructor for the Army Signal Corps in Texas during World War I. After his service, he took a job at a steel company in Seattle and got involved with rowing at the University of Washington. He was appointed to the Board of Stewards and assisted Ed Leader in coaching the crew. In 1923, the University of California, Berkeley offered him the position of head coach and he gladly accepted, taking Russell "Russ" Nagler, another Washington rowing alumnus, with him as assistant coach. Ebright would be the first full time professional coach at the University of California, Berkeley.
The first few years were full of more losses than wins, but Ebright and Nagler were making progress. The crews continued to improve in contests with the University of Washington under Ebright. However, it was rumored that Ebright considered returning to the steel company in Seattle following the 1926 season when California finished 6th at the Poughkeepsie Regatta and Washington won. Ebright elected to stay another year and in 1927 saw his crews finally beat Washington in the Pacific Coast Regatta.
Ebright's patience paid off and he went on to coach 3 Olympic champion crews, in 1928, 1932, and 1948, the only man to ever coach 3 crews to Olympic victory. His crews would also win the Poughkeepsie Regatta. In 1928, they broke a record set on the 4 mile course by Cornell in 1901.
In 1956, he was inducted into the rowing hall of fame and additionally 4 of his varsity crews were inducted as well, the 1928, 1932, 1939, and 1948 teams.
Upon Ebright's death in 1979, Gregory Peck, California rowing alumnus, donated money in his memory to the rowing program.
Sources about Ebright:
Carrol "Ky" Ebright: Crew Coach for the University of California and the Olympics, Oral History
Men's Crew History 1910-1919 University of Washington
Men's Crew History 1920-1929 University of Washington
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