Zach Peters Returns Home to Join Husker Gymnastics Staff

Nebraska men’s gymnastics head coach Chuck Chmelka announced the addition of former Husker gymnast Zach Peters as an assistant coach on May 20.

“We’re so excited to have Zach as part of our coaching staff,” Chmelka said. “In his young career so far, he’s already acquired a wealth of knowledge as a head coach, and we look forward to him bringing all of that and more to our team.”

Peters returns to Lincoln after serving as the head coach at Greenville University, where he launched the school’s men’s gymnastics program in October 2021. In 2026, he guided the Panthers to the program’s first Eastern College Athletic Conference title. Greenville also finished the season ranked No. 10 nationally, the highest end-of-season ranking in program history. Since the program’s inaugural season, Peters has coached at least one Panther in NCAA event finals every year. 

A former Nebraska gymnast, Peters competed for the Huskers from 2018 to 2021 and served as a two-time team captain. He competed on floor exercise and vault, helping Nebraska earn a third-place finish at the 2019 NCAA Championships. Peters recorded career-high scores of 14.40 on floor exercise and 14.60 on vault.

Peters also excelled academically during his collegiate career. He was a three-time College Gymnastics Association All-America Scholar-Athlete, a 2021 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. During his senior season in 2021, Peters was also awarded the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

“Coming back to Nebraska gymnastics is something I do not take lightly,” Peters said. “I truly view this as a God-given blessing and an honor to be on staff for a team and university that once gave me so much as an athlete. I would not be where I am without the University of Nebraska, and I will come in every day ready to give my all to every athlete so their lives can be changed forever.”

Both Chmelka and assistant coach John Robinson coached Peters during his time as a Husker gymnast.

“Welcoming Zach back home to Nebraska gives me chills,” assistant coach Robinson said.  From coaching Zach as a Husker to watching him flourish as a coach leading one of our newest NCAA programs to a conference title, I couldn’t be more proud. Now I get the chance to coach alongside him, that’s incredibly special. Zach knows what it takes to be a Husker — he understands the tradition of excellence, the standard of this program, and the potential we have to compete for championships. He knows Chuck and I, he knows this culture, and he is ready to hit the ground running as we work together to bring a national title back to Nebraska.”