University of Minnesota Athletics
Hansen Named Minnesota Head Coach
4/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- University of Minnesota director of athletics Norwood Teague has announced that Jenny Hansen has been named the head coach of the Golden Gophers' women's gymnastics program. Hansen served as the interim head coach during the 2014-15 season.
"It is an exciting day for the women's gymnastics program as we announce that Jenny will serve as head coach moving forward," said Teague. "Jenny did a wonderful job leading the program in her first year and we are excited to see what the future holds for Gopher gymnastics under her guidance."
"I am honored and excited to be the next head coach at the University of Minnesota," said Hansen. "I have great pride in this program, as a former athlete and as a coach, and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the Gophers. We have a wonderful group of young women that are committed to reaching their potential and I look forward to working with them alongside a tremendous staff, as we help them accomplish their goals."
In Hansen's first year at the helm for the Maroon and Gold, she led the Golden Gophers to the NCAA Auburn Regional where the squad finished fourth. Under her tutelage, junior Lindsay Mable has continued to shine earning Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and NACGC/W North Central Region Gymnast of the Year laurels. Mable was the top-ranked all-around gymnast in the country for two consecutive weeks while earning six league weekly honors. Hansen will accompany Mable as she represents the University of Minnesota at the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas next weekend.
Hansen has served as a full-time coach for the Maroon and Gold since 2007. In her time with the Gophers, the squad has been selected for an NCAA Regional each season. More recently, the team placed eighth in the 2013 NCAA Championship meet, its highest finish in the history of the program. The program also won back-to-back Big Ten regular-season championships in 2013 and 2014.
Hansen was named 2013 National Assistant Coach of the Year and was North Central Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in both 2012 and 2013. In her tenure, she has helped coach six individual All-Americans, six regional champions and three Big Ten Conference champions.
As associate head coach, Hansen focused on the Gophers' vaulting while assisting with beam and floor routines. She also has served as a liaison for the booster club and Gopher gymnastics alumnae.
Hansen was an assistant coach at the University of Illinois for the 2005-06 season where she focused her energy on floor exercise, music selection and choreography. She played an essential role in on-campus recruiting and alumni relations. Illinois placed fourth at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships and finished the season with a No. 25 national ranking.
As a gymnast at the University of Minnesota, Hansen excelled on and off the competition floor. Hansen was a four-year letter winner, earned Academic All-Big Ten laurels three times and was team captain during her senior season. At the end of her career, she ranked third on Minnesota's all-time top performers list on the balance beam (9.925), was tied for seventh on the floor exercise list (9.925), and was tied for ninth all-time on the vault (9.850).
Hansen graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology in 2004 and completed her Master's of Education Degree in Sport Management in 2011.
###
Players Mentioned
