Olympic medalist and NCAA Champion Justin Spring has joined the Alabama gymnastics staff head coach Ashley Johnston announced Tuesday. Spring will serve as an assistant coach, working with all aspects of the program.
"I have known Justin since our days on the U.S. National team, and I am beyond excited to add his experience, enthusiasm and spirit to our program," Johnston said. "As an Olympian and an NCAA champion as both a gymnast and a coach, he knows exactly what it takes to excel at the highest level in this sport and he has demonstrated time and again that he can share his knowledge and experience in a way that benefits his student-athletes the most. Not only is he a tremendous technical coach, but he brings such joy and energy to everything that he does and shares our philosophy of developing the whole person and putting student-athlete wellness first."
A member of the United States' bronze-medal winning Olympic squad, Spring joins the Crimson Tide staff following his 12th season as the head coach of the Illinois men's team and 16th season overall with the Illinois coaching staff. He was named National Coach of the Year in 2012 after guiding Illinois to its 10th NCAA Championship. At 28, he was the youngest coach in NCAA history to earn National Coach of the Year honors. He led Illinois to 11 top-six finishes at the NCAA Championships, including the 2012 title, as well as four Big Ten titles with the latest coming in 2018.
"I'm so excited to take on this incredible opportunity at one of the best gymnastics programs in the country," Spring said. "Ashley has put together a cohesive staff that is committed to developing student-athletes in and outside the gym. I look forward to creating a life changing experience for these young women and bringing home SEC and NCAA championships."
In 12 seasons as the head coach of the Fighting Illini, Spring guided 11 gymnasts to individual NCAA titles, including three NCAA champions in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The Illini racked up 79 All-America honors in Spring's tenure as head coach. During his Illini coaching career, he was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2018, 2012, 2011 and 2010, Central Region Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2010 and Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2009.
Spring and his wife, Tori, have three children, sons Cody and Elliot, and daughter Callie.
The Olympics
- Led Team USA to a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
- In the Olympic team finals, Spring led Team USA to an unexpected bronze, scoring 15.900 on vault, a team-leading 15.850 on parallel bars, a 15.675 on horizontal bar and a 15.200 on floor exercise in the three-up, three-count format
- Earned one of six spots at the 2008 Beijing Olympics following the U.S. Trials
- U.S. Olympian and eight-time member of the U.S. Senior National Team member
- 2008 Visa U.S. Championships Gold Medalist - Parallel Bars
- Eight-time U.S. Senior National Team Member
- 2007 Pan American Games Team Member - Bronze Medal
- 2007 Pan American Gold Medalist - Parallel Bars
- 2007 Visa U.S. Championships Gold Medalist - High Bar
- 2007 Visa U.S. Championships Silver Medalist - Floor Exercise
- 2007 Moscow World Cup Silver Medalist - High Bar
- 2005 World Championships U.S. Team Member
- 2005 Visa U.S. Championships Gold Medalist - High Bar
- 2005 Winter Cup Champion - High Bar
- 2005 American Cup Silver Medalist - High Bar
- 2003 World University Games Team Member
- Graduated from the University of Illinois in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in speech communication and earned his master's in recreation, sports and tourism in 2014
- The 2006 Nissen-Emery Award, an honor that goes to the top senior male gymnast in the nation
- Led the Illini to runner-up finishes at the 2006 NCAA and Big Ten Championships
- 13-time All-American
- 2006 NCAA Parallel Bars Champion
- 2006 NCAA High Bar Co-Champion
- 2006 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year
- 2006 Big Ten Parallel Bars Champion
- 2006 Big Ten All-Around Champion
- 2005 U.S. National High Bar Champion
- 2005 NCAA Parallel Bars Champion
- 2004 NCAA High Bar Champion
- 2004 Big Ten Floor Exercise Champion
- Three-time All-Big Ten Team Member
- Two-time UI Dike Eddleman Athlete of the Year (2004, 2006)
- Illinois School Record Holder (FX, VT, PB, HB)
- Two-year team captain
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