Gophers extend contract of women’s gymnastics coach

The University of Minnesota’s women’s gymnastics team is set to have its coach in place for several more years.

The program announced Monday that Jenny Hansen agreed to a contract extension that runs through the 2028 season.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to continue to lead the program here at Minnesota,” Hansen in a prepared statement. “I was fortunate to have had an incredible experience during my time as a student athlete here, and together with our staff, we are fully committed to providing a tremendous experience for our student-athletes.”

“Jenny does a terrific job of leading the gymnastics program,” Director of Athletics Mark Coyle added. “She prioritizes a holistic experience for her student-athletes, and they excel in the gym, in the classroom and in the community. With Jenny’s continued leadership and a new world-class performance center breaking ground in 2024, the future of Gopher gymnastics is extremely bright.”

The upcoming season will be Hansen’s 10th leading the program. She’s been named Big Ten Coach of the Year three times, most recently in 2020, and also was recognized as the National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2013.

The Gophers qualified for the regional competition last year for the 27th consecutive season, and four student-athletes were named All-Big Ten selections.

Outside the gym, the team also excelled, setting a program record with 19 WCGA Scholastic All-Americans and ranking in the top five in team GPAs, a first in program history. Sixteen student-athletes had at least a 3.5 GPA while three earned a 4.0 GPA.

Before serving as a coach, Hansen competed as a Gopher from 2000-2003, finishing her career ranked third on Minnesota’s all-time top performers list on the balance beam, seventh on the floor exercise and ninth on the vault. She was a team captain in her senior year.

The Gophers open the 2024 season with an intrasquad in December before going to the Las Vegas Super 16 from Jan. 5-6, 2024.