UW’s New Head Rodeo Coach Aims to Advance Teams to National Level

By Shen Wu Tan

Special to the Wyoming Truth

The University of Wyoming’s Cowgirls rodeo team hasn’t won a national title since 2009. For the Cowboys, it’s been even longer: the last time they secured a national title was 1961.

But Seth Glause – a two-time national collegiate rodeo champion and highly decorated professional rodeo competitor — hopes to change that when he becomes the head rodeo coach at UW on July 24.

“Being from Wyoming and growing up here, this is definitely a dream job, and to work…with University of Wyoming athletics is a tremendous opportunity,” Glause, 34, told the Wyoming Truth.

Glause replaces Beau Clark, who resigned as UW’s head rodeo coach in May.

Glause, who currently is the head rodeo coach at Laramie County Community College (LCCC), began his coaching career in 2014 at Central Wyoming College. He served as an instructor at multiple rodeo clinics, including the 2019 National High School Rodeo Finals.

During his tenure at LCCC, Glause coached athletes who qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in 2017 and 2018 and from 2020 to 2023.

“Leaving LCCC is definitely bittersweet,” Glause said. “The school [gave] me the opportunity to get my feet wet as a head coach in the fall of 2018. I’m really just thankful for the opportunities that LCCC provided me.”

In 2021, Glause was named Central Rocky Mountain Region Coach of the Year. He currently serves as Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) director.

“Seth (Glause) has an excellent reputation as an outstanding coach and a better person,” UW Athletics Director Tom Burman said in a statement. “We had a lot of people, who worked with him and competed for him, reach out to us to sing his praises. We are excited to work with Seth and watch him develop our Cowboy and Cowgirl rodeo program.”

As a rodeo competitor, Glause climbed onto his first steer when he was three years old. Growing up in Rock Springs, he mostly rode bulls, but also competed in saddle bronc riding and team roping. During his amateur rodeo career, Glause was the CNFR All-Around Champion in 2007 and 2008.

Glause earned over $600,000 competing in professional rodeo before retiring at age 28. He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in bull riding in 2008 and then from 2010 to 2012; he also secured many professional titles, including the 2009 Mountain States circuit saddle bronc riding and all-around champion. Glause was the all-around champion at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in 2008 and won its bull riding event in 2012.

While coaching rodeo, Glause attended school on the side, earning a Bachelor of Applied Science in organizational leadership from UW.

At LCCC, he coached about 30 student athletes. When Glause starts at UW, he’ll have about 50 student athletes under his guidance.

Although it’s been a while since UW secured a national title, its rodeo teams have won regional awards. Last month, the Cowgirls placed third at the CNFR, while the men’s team placed 12th overall. Heading into the CNFR, the Cowboys won the Central Rocky Mountain Region championship the last five years in a row. The Cowgirls were runners-up for the area after clinching the four previous regional team titles.

As a coach, Glause enjoys seeing his passion for rodeo reflected in his student athletes’ eyes. And he is passionate about helping them achieve their goals.

“They’re hungry to learn, they’re hungry to get better,” Glause said.  

The upcoming college rodeo season will kick off with the first competition on Sept. 16 in Chadron, Nebraska.