University of Minnesota Athletics
Jim Stephenson To Take Disability Leave
8/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
“Coaching at Minnesota has been an honor,” said Jim Stephenson. “I take great pride in the image and example our women have presented to the community. They have exemplified Golden Gopher athletics. With Meg as the head coach, I know the program could not be in better hands.”
“While we are sad that Jim will no longer be coaching on a full-time basis, we are excited to have Meg remain as the head coach of the program,” said athletics director Joel Maturi. “We are fortunate to have such a capable coach in place to continue her work in directing our team.”
The Golden Gophers have won two Big Ten Championships in the Stephenson era, in 1998 and 2006. Together, Jim and Meg have a 173-147-1 record in their 12 years as co-head coaches at Minnesota. Jim compiled a 232-218-1 record in his 17 years as a head coach at Minnesota.
The Stephenson coaching duo received Big Ten Coach of the Year honors twice (1998, 2002), as well as Regional Coach of the Year honors in 2002. In addition to the two Big Ten Coach of the Year honors he shared with Meg, Jim was also honored as the conference coach of the year in 1995 and 1997.
The pair led the Golden Gophers to NCAA regional competition in each of the past 14 seasons, capturing top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships twice (1997, 2002). In their 17-year tenure, the Stephensons led the Gophers to top-25 national finishes 10 times. Minnesota has celebrated four All-America citations, two individual NCAA Regional champions and seven individual Big Ten Champions with the Stephensons at the helm of the program.
Outside of coaching, Stephenson has an accomplished history on the competitive level. Stephenson competed internationally in the 1974 World University Games in Moscow and represented the United States in the 1974 South African World Cup. He was a member of Iowa State’s NCAA championship teams in 1971 and 1973, and earned All-America honors in 1973. Stephenson and his teammates were honored by Iowa State in December 2006 for their accomplishments, and are now recognized with national championship banners in ISU’s home arena. Prior to college, he won Southern California High School all-around titles in 1967 and 1969.
In addition to his coaching success, Stephenson is an accomplished artist and has worked as a technical illustrator for numerous U.S. Sports Federations. He has also sculpted various bronze pieces for both public sites, including Oregon State University and the University of Georgia, as well as several private collections.