Justin Spring just wrapped up his 11th season at the helm and 14th season overall with the Illinois men’s gymnastics program.
In 11 seasons as the head coach of the Fighting Illini, Spring has guided 10 gymnasts to NCAA event titles, including three NCAA champions in 2010, 2011, and 2012. The Illini have racked up 75 All-America honors in Spring’s 11 years. He was named National Coach of the Year in 2012 after guiding Illinois to its 10th NCAA team championship. At 28, he was the youngest coach in NCAA history to earn National Coach of the Year honors.
Illinois completed the 2018-19 season with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, after earning second-place at the Big Ten Championships. Alex Diab (still rings) and Hamish Carter (high bar) both picked up Big Ten event titles, as Diab became the first Illini to win four consecutive Big Ten still rings titles. In addition to a Big Ten medals, Diab garnered two All-American honors, while Carter received All-American recognition, as well. Johnny Jacobson, Michael Paradise, and Sebastian Quiana lauded All-Americna honors of their own. Carter, Diab, and Michael Fletcher were named to the First-Team All-Big Ten, while Paradise earned Second-Team All-Big Ten recognition. At the NCAA Championships, Diab won the gold on still rings.
The 2017-18 season was a huge success, as Spring led Illinois to its conference-leading 28th Big Ten title and earned his fourth career Big Ten Coach of the Year award. In addition to team success, the Illini saw both Alex Diab (still rings) and Chandler Eggleston (high bar) earn Big Ten event titles. Led by Diab, the Orange and Blue then earned a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, held in Chicago. Diab posted a 14.500 to win the still rings national title and become the 58th individual national champion in school history (third on rings). Eight Illini gymnasts totaled 12 All-America honors, including Bobby Baker, Alex Diab, Chandler Eggleston, Johnny Jacobson, Brandon Ngai, Dennis Minton, Michael Paradise and Sebastian Quiana. Baker, Diab and Eggleston were named First Team All-Big Ten honorees, while Ngai earned second-team honors.
Spring guided Illinois to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships during the 2016-17 season, following a second-place performance at the Big Ten Championships. Bobby Baker and Chandler Eggleston garnered two All-America honors each, while Alex Diab and Brandon Ngai also received All-American recognition. Diab became the first Illini gymnast ever to win two Big Ten Still Rings event titles, while Ngai and Johnny Jacobson claimed the Big Ten event titles on pommel horse and parallel bars, respectively. Diab, Jacobson and Ngai were named First Team All-Big Ten, while Bobby Baker, Tyson Bull and Matt Foster received second team nods.
In the 2015-16 season, the Fighting Illini turned in a 23-10 record. Illinois finished fourth at the NCAA Championships, after earning a second place finish at the Big Ten Championships. Sophomore Brandon Ngai won the 2016 pommel horse title, joining teammates Logan Bradley (pommel horse), Tyson Bull (high bar) and Alex Diab (high bar) in receiving All-American status. Ngai and Diab also had excellent showings at the 2016 Big Ten Championships at Ohio State, with Ngai winning the pommel horse event title during the Team Finals, and Diab earning the still rings event title. Diab was named First Team All-Big Ten, while Ngia, Matthew Foster and Johnny Jacobson received Second Team nods.
Illinois finished the 2014-15 season with a record of 18-7 in Spring’s sixth year at the helm. The Orange and Blue took second place at the Big Ten Championships to the host, Penn State, by a mere six-tenths of a point. The Illini collected three events titles at the league championship while Bobby Baker raked in six Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades and culminated the season with both Big Ten Gymnast and Freshman of the Year honors and a pair of All-America honors. C.J. Maestas collected four All-America accolades in his final season to bring his total to 10 while under Spring’s guidance. Collectively, four Illini accounted for eight All-America titles, the third most in a season during Spring’s time at the helm.
The 2013-14 season saw the Illini compile a 19-12-1 record during Spring’s fifth season at the program’s helm. Illinois finished fourth in the Big Ten as well as at the NCAA Championships. Illinois advanced to its 12th straight NCAA team final while Jordan Valdez earned the national title on high bar. The Orange and Blue returned from the NCAA Championships with 10 All-America honors, the most of any team in the country. Maestas also set the all-time school and NCAA record on still rings at 16.450.
In 2012-13, Spring led the Illini to a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships and a 15-18 overall record. Fred Hartville locked down the Big Ten and NCAA titles on vault to become Illinois’ fifth NCAA vault champion and the first-ever Illini freshman to take the title. Four Illini earned All-America honors at the NCAA Championships, and two Illinois gymnasts set school records during the season. Illinois also hosted a groundbreaking match play dual meet, topping Minnesota 21-9.
He has guided the Illini to three Big Ten Championships in four years and has earned Big Ten Coach of the Year in each of those years (2010-12).
Under his leadership, the 2012 Illini knocked off top-ranked Oklahoma three times throughout the season, compiling a 28-2 mark overall, and produced two NCAA event champions, 11 All-America accolades among seven individuals, three Big Ten titles between two gymnasts, two All-Big Ten honorees and their fourth-ever Nissen-Emery Award winner, senior Paul Ruggeri. Additionally, freshman C.J. Maestas earned Big Ten Gymnast and Freshman of the Year.
In 2010-11, Spring guided the Illini to a 28-5 overall record, their third straight Big Ten title and a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Spring’s 2011 squad featured four NCAA All-Americans and two NCAA champions. After a successful 2011 campaign, he was named Central Region Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year for the second straight season.
Following the 2009-10 season, Spring was named head coach for the Illinois men’s gymnastics program after spending one year as an associate head coach.
In one season as associate head coach, Spring led Illinois to its second straight Big Ten team title and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Individually, five Illini earned All-America accolades; three took home Big Ten titles, and Luke Stannard became just the third Illini to win the prestigious Nissen-Emery Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top senior male gymnast.
Additionally, Spring helped guide Illinois to a 22-5 overall record and the top spot in the rankings on four separate occasions and never dropped out of the top five. For his efforts, Spring was honored as both Central Region Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Spring was promoted to associate head coach following the 2009 season after three years as an assistant under the legendary Yoshi Hayasaki. The promotion meant that Spring had to retire from competitive gymnastics to concentrate on coaching full time.
In 2009, Spring was named Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year along with Ivan Ivankov after helping Illinois to the Big Ten Championship, a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships and three individual NCAA titles.
Spring, a former Illini standout, had an amazing year in 2008 that culminated with winning a bronze medal with Team USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Along with his teammates, Spring defied all odds as the U.S. men brought home the bronze medal and surprised everyone, except themselves.
Spring was spectacular in the team finals in leading the Americans to the improbable bronze. He scored 15.900 on vault in the second rotation, a team-leading 15.850 on parallel bars, a spectacular 15.675 on horizontal bar, along with 15.200 on floor exercise in the three-up, three-count format.
Spring’s road to the Olympics was not an easy one to say the least. Plagued by injuries throughout his career, Spring battled through constant pain in hopes of accomplishing his lifelong dream of bringing home an Olympic medal. Less than a year before his Olympic appearance, Spring tore his ACL at the 2007 Visa Championships. However, he did not let the incident hamper his dreams. After making a speedy recovery, the Burke, Va., native headed to the 2008 Olympic Trials, where he was scheduled to compete on only four events due to a nagging ankle injury.
However, he knew he needed to do more in order to make the team. He needed to show the Olympic selection committee that he had the complete package they were looking for. With his dream on the line, Spring rolled the dice and made a last minute decision to add floor exercise to his competition events. Despite not practicing on the event in nearly two months, the gutsy move paid off as he posted a score of 15.200, the second highest score of the night.
After a second strong day of competition at the Olympic Trials, all Spring could do was wait. The Olympic team would be announced the next day. In the end, the decision to add floor proved to have a huge payoff, as Spring’s name was one of the six announced to the team.
Spring, one of the most talented gymnasts in Illinois history, finished his collegiate career in 2006.
In his first season as an assistant in 2007, Spring was instrumental in helping the Illini return to the NCAA Championships Super Six, as the Illini extended their streak of top-five finishes to five straight years with fifth-place finishes at NCAAs and Big Tens.
In 2008, Spring helped lead the Illini to a runner-up finish behind No. 1 Penn State at the Big Ten Championships. At the 2008 NCAA Championships, the Illini continued their success, finishing third, their sixth consecutive top-five finish. The Illini brought home nine All-America honors with freshman Paul Ruggeri winning the national title on high bar, Illinois’ first high bar champion since Spring in 2006.
Finishing his collegiate career in 2006, Spring strung together one of the best seasons in Illinois gymnastics’ history. The season culminated with him earning the 2006 Nissen-Emery Award, an honor that goes to the top senior male gymnast in the nation. A double titlist at the 2006 NCAAs, Spring took home the crown on the high bar and defended his title on parallel bars. In addition, he carded five total All-America honors with a second-place finish in the all-around, third on floor exercise and fourth on vault.
Along with his individual honors, Spring helped the Illini to runner-up finishes at the 2006 NCAA and Big Ten Championships. The finish at NCAAs came less than a half-a-point shy of team-champion Oklahoma, and just short of the Orange and Blue’s 10th national title.
Overall, the Burke, Va., native is a four-time NCAA Champion, winning a pair of titles on high bar in both 2004 and 2006 and back-to-back crowns on parallel bars in 2005 and 2006. Along with his national recognition, Spring earned 2006 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year accolades after winning the all-around crown at Big Ten Championships. In all, Spring finished his illustrious career with three All-Big Ten first team honors, six Big Ten Gymnast of the Week laurels and three Inside Gymnastics’ NCAA Gymnast of the Week honors.
During his four-year career, Spring garnered three Big Ten Championships with titles on parallel bars and in the all-around in 2006 and on the floor exercise in 2004. Spring is a two-time recipient of the Dike Eddleman Athlete of the Year award (2004, 2006), which goes to Illinois’ top male and female athlete. A face and name that will forever be remembered in Illini record books, Spring left the Fighting Illini a 13-time All-American, the most since Abie Grossfeld earned 13 from 1957-59, and holds Illinois records on floor exercise, vault, parallel bars and high bar. Spring’s success has extended far beyond his honors in collegiate competition, as he won the national title on parallel bars at the 2008 Visa Championships, his third overall honor. In 2005, Spring became the first Illini gymnast to win a national title at the Visa Championships, winning the gold on high bar. With his two-day combined high bar score of 18.750, Spring took home the title on the event.
He competed at the 2007 World Cup meet in Moscow, taking home second on high bar at the event. The Illini great was chosen to the 2007 U.S. Pan American Games team, bringing home the United States’ first gold medal at the games in 16 years when he claimed the crown on parallel bars. He also helped lead the U.S. team to a bronze medal finish at the Games hosted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Spring then followed the performance with a stellar outing at the 2007 Visa Championships, where he collected his second U.S. title on high bar – first since 2005 – and was a silver medalist on floor exercise.
Spring is a five-time U.S. Senior National Team member after his fifth straight selection in 2008. Spring also represented the U.S. at the 2005 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Melbourne, Australia, on floor exercise, parallel bars and high bar. At the 2005 World Championships, Spring finished 10th to qualify as a reserve on high bar and finished 12th on parallel bars.
At the 2005 American Cup, Spring scored a 9.500 on high bar and brought home the silver medal behind only Olympic champion Paul Hamm.
The Illini gymnast finished fourth on the high bar at the 2004 Visa U.S. Championships and competed for Team USA at the 2003 World University Games in Daegu, South Korea, advancing to the finals on floor.
Spring 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. Spring and his wife, Tori, sons, Cody and Elliot, and daughter, Callie, reside in Champaign, Ill.
