Southwestern Oklahoma State Athletics

Southwestern Oklahoma State University alum and former Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) cowboy Mike Visnieski has continued the strong rodeo tradition of SWOSU Rodeo since agreeing to become the school’s head coach in 2011. The 2024-25 season will be his 13th leading the Bulldog Rodeo program.
 
Since returning to Weatherford, Visnieski has coached two College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) National Champions, three reserve national champions and seven teams that have finished among the top-10 at the CNFR. His women’s teams finished as Reserve National Champions in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022 and finished fourth in 2023. They've now made trips to Casper, Wyoming in each of the last four years.   

In 2022, Sadie Wolaver won the CNFR National Championship in Barrel Racing, becoming the 23rd national champion in SWOSU Rodeo history. Prior to that, Tyrell Larson won the 2012 CNFR National Championship in Saddle Bronc. Among the Bulldogs to finish as the reserve national champion at the CNFR is Bull Rider Sage Kimzey, who was the runner-up in 2014 before claiming seven PRCA World Championships at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas.
 
Visnieski, a native of Harrah, was a member of the SWOSU rodeo team under legendary coach Dr. Don Mitchell from 1995 to 1999. He competed in both bull riding and team roping and was a qualifier for the 1998 College National Finals Rodeo.
 
Visnieski later went on to a successful rodeo career with the PRCA, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA). During this time, he accumulated career earnings in excess of $500,000. Visnieski’s best years in professional rodeo were from 2001 through 2004. During this time he was a four-time qualifier for the International Finals Rodeo. He was one of the IPRA’s top money winner in 2002 and was the winner of the Longhorn World Series Championship in bull riding.
 
Visnieski is married to the former Edie Spencer of Pink, Okla., who is also a graduate of SWOSU. The couple has two young children, a son, Kale; and a daughter, Jade.
   

Year	Region (M)	Region (W)	CNFR (M)	CNFR (W)
2011-12	-	1st	-	6th
2012-13	-	1st	7th	10th
2013-14	2nd	1st	6th	-
2014-15	2nd	2nd	-	-
2015-16	2nd	2nd	-	5th
2016-17	3rd	4th	-	-
2017-18	7th	4th	-	-
2018-19	6th	5th	-	-
2019-20	n/a - covid-19	n/a - covid-19	n/a - covid-19	n/a - covid-19
2020-21	3rd	1st	-	2nd
2021-22	4th	2nd	-	2nd
2022-23	3rd	1st	-	4th
2023-24	7th	1st	-	14th