College Coach Proposes to Partner: ‘A Lil Engagement to Cap off a Wonderful Summer’

A college rowing coach is getting married. Lowell McNicholas, the assistant coach at the University of Iowa’s women’s rowing team, went to Instagram in August to announce his engagement to Dave Birr. In the caption of the Instagram post, McNicholas wrote: “A lil engagement to cap off a wonderful summer. Love you [Birr].”

The engagement comes six years after McNicholas told Outsports about his coming out story. At the time, he said, “I remember thinking to myself, even if I wanted to ‘come out,’ I didn’t want to make it a ‘thing’ because I believed that no LGBT person should have to put out a press release to announce it.” 

After his engagement, McNicholas spoke to Outsports and revealed that he should have come out sooner. “It’s another reminder of all the good that follows sharing that part of yourself publicly,” he stated, “[It] brought me closer to my friends, to my family, with colleagues, and with student-athletes I get to work with. Allowed me to build a real relationship with a partner who I now get to call my fiance! I am able to experience life in a deeper, richer, more authentic, and more meaningful way. What else could you ask for?”

McNicholas joined Iowa in 2021 after serving as an assistant coach for the Wisconsin men’s rowing team. “I am thrilled to join the Hawkeye rowing team,” McNicholas said, per his bio. “I am grateful for the last six years working with the Badgers and feel fortunate to now have the opportunity to work with another incredible program. As soon as I met with Coach Garbutt and some of the athletic department staff I knew that Iowa was a team I wanted to be a part of. I look forward to working alongside Coach Garbutt, Thurstin, Fitzpatrick and Pearson, as well as the many other phenomenal people supporting the rowing team. I am excited for this next chapter in Iowa City and eager to meet the team and get to work.”

McNicholas competed on the Wisconsin men’s team and was named to the All-Big Ten academic team in 2013. He joined the coaching staff in 2015 after graduating from Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Arts degree.