Tommy Rowlands returns to the role of volunteer assistant coach for the Ohio State wrestling team in 2008-09. In addition to his duties with the OSU varsity program, Rowlands will work extensively with The Buckeye Wrestling Club. The Buckeye Wrestling Club was a tremendous asset to Rowlands in the past year during his quest for a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. A 2005 graduate from Ohio State with a degree in business, Rowlands spent the past three years following the completion of his eligibility, training as a five-time member of the U.S. Senior National Team.

This past spring, Rowlands, who owned the No. 1 ranking in Team USA standings in his weight class, was crowned the 120kg/264.5 pounds champion at the 2008 U.S. National Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas. That championship performance followed a gold-medal outing at the 2008 Pan American Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo. One of the highlights for Rowlands at the Pan American Championships was pinning world champion Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba in 1:54 in opening round action. Rowlands’ gold medal was instrumental in helping the United States win the Pan Am title.

An Ohio State letterwinner from 2001-04, Rowlands won heavyweight national titles in 2002 and 2004. He is just the second Buckeye to win two national titles and the first to earn All-America honors four times. A Hilliard, Ohio, native Rowlands is the all-time leader at Ohio State in career wins (164), career team points (702), and career takedowns (705). His career record of 164-14 (.921) ranks fourth all-time in winning percentage at Ohio State, while his 44 wins in 2004 and 43 triumphs in 2001 rank fourth and fifth, respectively, all-time in a single season.

Rowlands and his wife, Elizabeth, reside in Hilliard and have a daughter, Ellie. Elizabeth completed her undergraduate studies and soccer career at Kentucky in 2003 and was a two-time all-conference performer and is the record-holder at UK with 36 career assists and ranks third all-time in goals and points.