Huskers Make Gold Medal Hire

Lincoln ? Head Coach Francis Allen announced today the hiring of former seven-time NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist Jim Hartung as assistant coach for the men’s gymnastics program.  Hartung will fill the position vacated by former coach Jim Howard who retired in June of 2005. 

 

“Jim Hartung is considered probably the best gymnast in NCAA history,” Allen said.  “But that didn’t necessarily mean he’d be a good coach.  Now that I’ve seen him with the athletes, I can say that he’s twice as good a coach as I ever thought he’d be.  I lost one of the greatest old coaches in the nation in Jim Howard and now I’ve gained the best new coach in Jim Hartung.”

 

Hartung spent four years under Allen from 1979 to 1982 and in that time captured seven individual national titles, two of which were in the all-around, and became Nebraska’s first Nissen-Emery Award winner in 1982.  In addition, the Omaha native led the Huskers to their first four NCAA team titles.  Hartung finished his collegiate career as the most highly decorated gymnast in the Nebraska’s history and still owns the program’s all-around record of 58.55 which he earned in 1981.

 

“My experience at the University of Nebraska was phenomenal,” Hartung said.  “I got to compete with my best friends and I got an education.  Everything about it was just awesome and my goal now is to help every kid that I coach to have that same experience.  It feels like I’ve been waiting most of my life for this opportunity,” Hartung said.

 

Following his stellar collegiate career, Hartung went on to compete in both the 1980 and 1984 Olympic games.  During his second trip in 1984, he helped the U.S. squad to its first and only team gold medal.

 

After competing in the Olympics as an athlete, Hartung received numerous invitations to coach the squad, but turned them down in favor of raising a family.  During that time, he became one of the top 10 gymnastics judges in the world and spent nearly a decade as a visitation coach for the U.S. National Team.

 

“I’ve competed in this sport as an athlete and I’ve spent a lot of time as a judge, so I know the rules inside and out,” Hartung said.  “It’s now my challenge to use those experiences to help this program.”

 

Allen agrees that Hartung’s plethora of experiences throughout the sport of gymnastics has made him an invaluable asset to his program. 

 

“They asked Jim (Hartung) to coach or judge the Olympics for years,” Allen said.  “But he’s a family man and wasn’t ever interested.  Now that his kids are grown up though, he’s ready to make a commitment to coaching, and I couldn’t be more excited that he’s choosing to do that with Nebraska.”

 

Hartung will coach this season alongside both Allen and former teammate Chuck Chmelka who will begin his 19th year as an assistant coach.  Together, the trio will lead the Huskers into their 67th year of collegiate competition in 2006.

 

“In my opinion, Chuck Chmelka is one of the top coaches in the nation and obviously Coach Allen’s record speaks for itself,” Hartung said.  “With the three of us on the staff, I’d like to think we could be competing for the national title by the end of the year.  At least, that’s our goal.”