Jenny Rowland, the associate head coach who helped oversee Auburn’s rise to the Super Six for the first time in 22 years at this year’s NCAA Championships, will take over as head coach at the University of Florida after Rhonda Faehn’s surprising departure this season.

Rowland began working with the Auburn program five years ago and was named associate head coach in March 2013. Prior to her role at Auburn, Rowland worked as the women’s assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma from 2001 until 2006. She then spent four years working as a judge on the national and international levels, serving as a U.S. Championships judge for eight years in addition to serving at Olympic Trials in 2008 and 2012. She earned her Level 3 International Brevet judge ranking in 2013, and says her judging experience helps tremendously with her coaching.

As a gymnast, Rowland – nee Ester – spent five years on the U.S. national team and was the alternate for the 1989 World Championships team. She competed as a collegiate athlete at Arizona State University, where she was an uneven bars All-American in 1993, and then received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1997.

Rowland will transition into the Florida program at a very good period in Gator Gym history. Under Faehn, the Gators earned their first national championships title in 2013 and went on to defend it in both 2014 (shared with Oklahoma) and again this year after narrowly edging out Utah for the honor. Faehn also set the program up for years of success, having recruited some of the nation’s top elite and J.O. athletes.

Last month, Rowland was named the co-assistant coach of the year at the 2015 NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas.

Article by Lauren Hopkins