UF Gymnastics: Florida’s Jenny Rowland is WCGA National Coach of the Year

Courtesy of UF Athletic Association

It’s a sweep of 2020 gymnastics coaching honors for the University of Florida’s Jenny Rowland.

Today, the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) named Rowland its National Coach of the Year. Yesterday, Rowland was awarded the SEC Coach of the Year, and earlier this month, she picked up the WCGA Region 5 Coach of the Year. A vote of the nation’s collegiate gymnastics coaches gave Rowland this season’s national award.

Rowland is Florida’s fourth named WCGA National Coach of the Year:

WCGA National Coach of the Year
2020                                       Jenny Rowland
2007                                       Rhonda Faehn
1994                                       Judi Markell
1992                                       Ernestine Weaver

What Earned Rowland the WCGA National Coach of the Year Honor:

 *   Florida was 10-0 in 2020 and No. 2 on final Road to Nationals standings
*   The Gators won their second consecutive SEC title with a 7-0 league record. It was UF’s first undefeated league season since 1992 when all league teams began meeting during regular season action.
  *   Florida held the No. 2 position throughout the Road to Nationals rankings after being picked No. 3 in the preseason vote.
  *   Gators rank in top three in each of the final event rankings – No. 1 (beam), No. 2 (floor), No. 3 (vault & floor)
  *   Florida’s team total of 198.375 (Jan. 24 vs LSU) is nation’s No. 3 total for 2020 and also is No. 3 total all-time for Gator program.
  *   Four Gators – Alyssa Baumann, Rachel Gowey, Savannah Schoenherr, Trinity Thomas – earned nine WCGA All-America honors
*   Thomas is SEC Gymnast of the Year. She was joined on the All-SEC team by Gowey and Schoenherr
  *   Florida equaled four Gator individual events records (10.0 – bars, beam, floor; 39.825 – all-around) and one team event record (beam – 49.675) in 2020

2020 WCGA National Coaching Honors:
Head Coach: Jenny Rowland, Florida
Assistant Coaches: Lou Ball and Tom Haley, Oklahoma

Gator National Coaches of the Year:
Florida’s claimed at least one national coach of the year award each year since 2010:

2020 – Jenny Rowland (WCGA Coach of the Year)

2019 – Mike Holloway (USTFCCCA Men’s Indoor Coach of the Year)

2018 – Mike Holloway (USTFCCCA Men’s Indoor Coach of the Year)

2017 – Mary Wise (U.S. Marine Corps/AVCA Division I Coach of the Year)

2017 – Mike Holloway (USTFCCCA Men’s Outdoor Coach of the Year)

2017 – Kevin O’Sullivan (Collegiate Baseball, Skip Bertman and DIBaseball.com Coach of the Year)

2016 – Mike Holloway (USTFCCCA Men’s Outdoor Coach of the Year)

2015 – Tim Walton (National Coaching Staff of the Year)

2014 – Amanda O’Leary (Inside Lacrosse Coach of the Year)

2013 – Mike Holloway (USTFCCCA Men’s Outdoor Coach of the Year)

2012 – Mike Holloway (USTFCCCA Men’s Indoor & Outdoor Coach of the Year)

2012 – Amanda O’Leary (WomenLax.com)

2011 – Mike Holloway (USTFCCCA Men’s Indoor Coach of the Year)

2011 – Kevin O’Sullivan (Baseball America Coach of the Year)

2011 – Roland Thornqvist (ITA Women’s Coach of the Year)

2010 – Mike Holloway (USTFCCCA Men’s Indoor Coach of the Year)

2010 – Gregg Troy (CSCAA Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year)