Justin Spring Retires; Named Associate Head Coach at Illinois
Posted on 22 April 2009 by admin
Gymnastics Coaching alerted us to the announcement that Illinois A.D., Ron Guenther, has promoted Women’s Gymnastics Head Coach Bob Starkell to Director of Gymnastics. He will remain the women’s head coach, and Justin Spring has been promoted to Associate Head Coach, assuming all head coaching duties. Visiting Assistant Coach Ivan Ivankov will become the new full-time Assistant Coach. Starkell will handle the administrative side for both the men’s and women’s programs.
Spring has officially retired from competition and will concentrate solely on his new head coaching position. Since graduating from Illinois in 2006, the 2008 Olympian has been the Assistant Coach for the past three years. The promotions come on the heels of the recent retirement of Head Coach Yoshi Hayasaki.
Spring and Ivankov have some big shoes to fill, but we assume they’ll do just fine. The Illini have a tremendous core of returning gymnasts, including 2009 All-Americans Paul Ruggeri and Daniel Ribeiro and Roger Pasek.
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:51 pm
This sounds like good news for the Illini. I was wondering what was going to happen and if a new head coach was brought in, if they would bring in an entirely new staff. I feel like Justin becoming the new head coach will bring a fresh vibe to the illini along with up to date training plans that coach Hayasaki wasn’t aware of. I expect great things from the Illini in the future.
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Think so, too. Justin has been coaching for 3 years and all the guys are comfortable with him. He and Ivan will do just fine. Ruggeri is going to be scary next season and beyond.