While much of the attention this preseason has been on the storylines surrounding the gymnasts—rightfully so—there are plenty of compelling plot points among coaches across the nation, too. From defending a championship, climbing back to the top, or capitalizing on great recruiting and portal work, coaches play a significant part in shaping the NCAA gymnastics landscape, and there are a myriad of compelling journeys to watch in 2025.
2024 CGN Coaching Staff of the Year: California
LSU
Can Jay Clark lead the Tigers to back-to-back titles? Can he keep his squad focused and hungry enough to push that hard again? If the answers are yes, the LSU staff will be hard to beat for staff of the year. Winning once? Very hard. Winning twice? A whole different mental ballgame.
Oklahoma
KJ Kindler has cemented herself in the legendary circle of NCAA gymnastics coaches, so she and her staff are always in this conversation. A comeback—especially ending with another title—from last year’s vault meltdown during the national semifinal would make the Sooner crew frontrunners.
California
Over the last few years, Justin Howell and Liz Crandall-Howell have vaulted the Golden Bears from the nationals bubble to title contenders, culminating in a runner-up finish a season ago. That…
