Cal Poly Rodeo Coach Ben Londo was named the 2019 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) Coach of the Year at College National Finals Rodeo in June. In addition, the Poly Royal Rodeo was named the Regional Rodeo of the Year.
“It is truly an honor to be named national coach of the year,” said Londo, who was selected by his peers and the NIRA board. “It is a humbling experience, to say the least, as many other coaches are equally deserving. I am very thankful to be recognized.”
Londo was named head coach of the Cal Poly Rodeo Team in 2013. In that time, he has grown the program to be one of the largest collegiate rodeos in the nation. Londo was named Coach of the Year for the West Coast Region in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. Cal Poly’s Poly Royal Rodeo was named the College Rodeo of the Year for the West Coast Region for 2016 and 2017 — a testament to the hard work and dedication demonstrated by Londo, the team, and the program’s supporters to move Poly Royal Rodeo to Cal Poly’s Spanos Stadium, making it one of the largest collegiate rodeos in the nation.
A professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rider since 2003, Londo has amassed an admirable list of achievements, including being named a saddle bronc champion six times for the Columbia River circuit and a two-time collegiate all-around national champion.
“Coach Londo opens doors for students to succeed in and out of the arena,” said Sadie Noblitt, a second-year agricultural communication student and member of the rodeo team. “The opportunities that he provides us with are endless, thanks to all of his hard work and dedication to the sport.”
The NIRA award recognized Londo for his success in the arena as a coach and for his character, personality, initiative and interaction with students and coaches.
“Coach Londo has had a huge impact on my entire career here at Cal Poly,” said Jane Wood, a fourth-year agricultural communications student and member of the rodeo team. “By encouraging my teammates and myself to push ourselves in the classroom, the arena, and in life, he is a role model for the entire team.”
About Cal Poly Rodeo
Cal Poly Rodeo, coached by Ben Londo, is one of the most successful programs in the history of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA). Cal Poly sent six men to the inaugural College National Finals Rodeo in 1949. Since then, Cal Poly Rodeo’s student-athletes have won more national titles than any other college rodeo program— and 45 national titles. The program is open to all Cal Poly students.
About Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is comprised of expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated with feeding the world in sustainable ways. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, including ranchland, orchards, vineyards and forests, all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country, with 4,000 undergraduate students. Learn more at https://cafes.calpoly.edu/.