Men's Gymnastics

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April 22, 2009

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - University of Illinois Director of Athletics Ron Guenther announced today the promotion of three current staff members to fill the vacancy left by retiring men's gymnastics head coach Yoshi Hayasaki. Women's gymnastics head coach Bob Starkell has been promoted to Director of Gymnastics, men's assistant coach Justin Spring is promoted to Associate Head Coach and visiting assistant coach Ivan Ivankov will now be an assistant coach.

Starkell will remain the women's gymnastics head coach at Illinois and will now oversee the administrative side of the men's program as well. Spring will assume all in the gym coaching duties for the men's program, while Ivankov becomes a full-time assistant coach for the men's team.

"We had a year to think about the reorganization of our gymnastics program after Yoshi decided to retire," Guenther said. "We are very fortunate to have Bob Starkell on our staff, who is very capable of giving oversight to both programs. Also, one of our own, Justin Spring, is recognized in the world of gymnastics as one of the elite competitors and is in position to expand his coaching career. I believe Bob and Justin will be able to continue to elevate our gymnastics program on the national stage."

Starkell, who just finished his 16th season at Illinois and his 10th as the women's head coach, earned National and Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 2009 after leading the Illini to the best season in school history. During Starkell's tenure as head coach, the Illinois program has gradually risen to new heights, culminating this year as his squad reached the NCAA Championships for the first time in school history, finishing 12th overall, and produced the school's first first-team All-American (Melissa Fernandez on beam). His teams have always performed well in the classroom as well, producing 81 Academic All-Big Ten honorees, including a record 11 in 2009, and 37 Scholastic All-Americans. Hayasaki hired Starkell in 1993 as a women's assistant coach when Hayasaki held the title of Director of Gymnastics.

"Coach Hayasaki's tenure at Illinois has been well decorated with awards and accolades, so it seems fitting that the year he retires his team wins the Big Ten Championship and his athletes win three NCAA event titles," Starkell said. "Sixteen years ago, as the Director of Gymnastics, Hayasaki hired me to the coaching staff here at the University of Illinois. Today, I feel honored to be placed in that same position and to help fill the shoes of one of the all-time greats.

"I look forward to the opportunity to work with both Justin Spring and Ivan Ivankov," Starkell continued. "Between the two of them, they have both the knowledge and experience to carry on the great Illini tradition of men's gymnastics."

A 2006 Illinois graduate, Spring has been an assistant coach for three seasons at Illinois while also training as a member of the U.S. National Team. With the new position, Spring will retire from competitive gymnastics to focus solely on coaching. He reached one of his lifelong goals in August, competing at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and helping the United States to a team bronze medal, but is now ready for a new challenge.

"I am so excited to continue to work with such an outstanding program," Spring said. "Yoshi has kept Illinois as one of the dominant gymnastics programs in the country and I am ready to step up and maintain that level of excellence. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I couldn't be happier staying and contributing to the University that I have grown to love so much. Bob has done a great job leading the women's program and his experience will make this transition as smooth as possible. Ivan came in mid-season last year and gave a tremendous amount to this program; I couldn't think of better coaches to work with."

Spring competed for the Fighting Illini from 2003-06 and put together one of the most decorated careers in program history. The Burke, Va., native was four-time NCAA Champion, 12-time All-American and won the prestigious Nissen-Emery Award in 2006. He's also had a spectacular career at the national and international levels. In addition to the Olympic Bronze, Spring is an eight-time U.S. National team member and three-time U.S. Champion and has competed at many other international competitions, including the 2005 World Championships, as part of Team USA.

Ivankov recently finished his first season at Illinois as a visiting assistant coach. One of the most accomplished gymnasts in the world over the last 15 years, Ivankov won 10 World Championship medals, including three Gold. The Minsk, Belarus, native competed at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics and was a two-time World All-Around Champion (1994 and '97). He retired from international competition in 2006.

Spring and Ivankov were named 2009 Central Region Assistant Coaches of the Year after helping Illinois to the Big Ten Championship, a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships and three individual NCAA titles this season.