- UBC Head Coach since 1995 and instrumental in rebuilding the program’s performance on the water, leading the creation of the team’s award-winning boathouse
- 10x Canadian University Rowing Championship winners (2005, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
- 9x Canadian University Coach of the Year (2005, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
- Has consistently produced a strong contingent of rowers, heavy and light, for Canada’s national teams, including several Olympic medalists many whom started in his program as novices
*As of May, 2026
Mike Pearce has completed 31 seasons as a head coach at UBC, 28 of them at the helm of the Men’s Rowing program after starting with the women’s team.
2025-26:
The Thunderbirds earned another trio of big wins in the 2025-26 campaign, beginning with the Western Canadian University Championship in October. Another national banner at November's Canadian University Rowing Championship was followed in the spring by the T-Birds going two-for-two against rivals UVic in the annual Brown Cup event. To finish off their season, the Thunderbirds competed in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Men's Rowing Championship for the very first time, going up against some of the very best collegiate rowing teams in the world.
The T-Birds continued their fantastic form in recent years with a highly successful 2024-25 season. After winning the Western Canadian University Championship in October, they then won their third straight Canadian University Rowing Championship the next month. In April, the Thunderbirds won both of their races at the Brown Cup in Victoria, making it five straight victories in the Varsity Men's race.
It was another great season for the Thunderbirds in 2023-24, as Pearce led the team to a second consecutive title at the Canadian University Rowing Championships, held in Burnaby in November. They then won their fourth straight Brown Cup in Victoria in April.
Pearce then coached Canada’s Men’s Four team to a silver medal at the 2024 FISU World University Rowing Championships in Rotterdam. The team featured three T-Birds: Julian Black, Axel Ewashko and Aidan Della Siega.
Beginning with the UBC Women's Rowing program in 1995, Mike Pearce quickly helped elevate eight student-athletes to international status, five of whom started under Pearce as novice rowers. In 1998, Pearce switched to the Men's Rowing program and since then they have won multiple National medals in all boat classes, Head of the Charles Championships and eight Canadian University Rowing Championship titles (2005, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023).
A National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Level 4 rowing coach, Pearce has been awarded the Canadian University Coach of the Year seven times (2005, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023) and is a past winner of the prestigious Royal Jubilee Award for coaching excellence.
In addition to coaching, Pearce provided vision and leadership in the creation the outstanding John MS Lecky UBC Boathouse.
