John Robinson

John Robinson has been a member of the Nebraska men's gymnastics coaching staff since 2011 and has played a major role in the program's success over the past decade. As an assistant coach, he oversees recruiting, marketing, fundraising, and program development while implementing a coaching philosophy centered on structured training plans and competitive practice environments. Robinson has helped develop many of Nebraska's top gymnasts, including All-Americans Wyatt Aycock, Jake Bonnay, Khalil Jackson, Donte McKinney, Griffin Kehler, Grant Perdue, Robbie Kocks, and three-time Big Ten vault champion Anton Stephenson.

In 2026, Robinson and the team finished second at the Big Ten Championships and fourth at the NCAA Championships. He produced five All-Americans (Asher Cohen, Max Odden, Nathan York, Chase Mondi and Luke James). The season was highlighted by Cohen’s National Championship title on rings. This was the first NCAA title by a Nebraska men’s gymnast since 1999, and the last person who had won the rings title was Jim Hartung. Also, both Cohen and York won titles during the Big Ten Championships.

In 2025, Robinson led the team to a third-place finish at the Big Ten Conference Championships. He coached them to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Robinson produced five All-Americans (Taylor Christopulos, Chris Hiser, Chase Mondi, Max Odden and Asher Cohen).

In 2024, Robinson assisted in leading the Huskers to their first Big Ten regular season title and fourth-place finish in the NCAA Championship. Additionally, Robinson helped produce five All-Americans (Taylor Christopulos, Zac Tiderman, Cooper Giles, Asher Cohen, Sam Phillips).

In 2023, Robinson helped the Huskers to a third-place finish at the Big Ten Conference Championships and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Robinson also produced three All-Americans (Taylor Christopulos, Donte McKinney, Zac Tiderman).

In 2022, Robinson helped produce two All-Americans (Dillan King, Donte McKinney) and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. He also helped the Huskers to a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships, tying the best finish since joining the conference.

In 2021, Robinson helped the Huskers to a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. He also helped produce four All-Americans (Taylor Christopulos, Charlie Giles, Evan Kriley, Mitch Tyndall) for five All-America honors.

In 2020, Robinson was on track to help the Huskers return to the NCAA Championship Finals for the fourth year in a row before the season ended early due to the coronavirus pandemic. Robinson helped produce one regular-season All-American (Jake Bonnay).

In 2019, Robinson helped lead the Huskers to their best national finish since 1999, as the team finished third nationally. He also helped produce five All-Americans (Jake Bonnay, Charlie Giles, Khalil Jackson, Josh Martin, Anton Stephenson). Robinson also coached Anton Stephenson to his third Big Ten title on vault.

In 2018, Robinson helped the team to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Robinson also helped produce four All-Americans and aided the development of the vault program, as Anton Stephenson placed second at the NCAA Championships. Robinson also aided three Huskers (Anton Stephenson, Jake Bonnay, Kyle King) to top-three finishes at the Big Ten Championships.

In 2017, Robinson helped the Huskers advance to the team finals at the NCAA Championships, where the team finished sixth nationally. Austin Epperson and Kyle King each earned All-America honors. Additionally, Anton Stephenson claimed the conference vault title at the Big Ten Championships, becoming the program’s first conference champion since 2002. Robinson also helped Chris Stephenson claim NCAA Gymnast-of-the-Week accolades.

In 2016, Robinson helped produce Big Ten medalist Daniel Leal, who placed second at the Big Ten Championships on parallel bars with a career-high score of 15.425. It was the Huskers’ second conference medal since joining the Big Ten.

Robinson joined the Nebraska men’s gymnastics coaching staff in 2011. A former Husker gymnast, Robinson competed in the all-around for three of his four seasons at Nebraska. He was a four-year letterman at NU (2007–10).

A native of North Carolina, Robinson was a Husker leader for four seasons. As a senior, Robinson was named Nebraska’s Hartung Award winner. He also earned a spot in the finals at the 2010 Winter Cup, and he was only the second Husker ever to do so. Robinson was also the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Week on Feb. 2, 2010, after earning the individual all-around title against Minnesota and Air Force on Jan. 30. Robinson’s senior season was cut short by a hand injury.

Robinson competed as an all-arounder at the 2008 NCAA Championships before earning Nebraska’s Most Improved Gymnast Award as a sophomore.

In his first season at Nebraska in 2007, Robinson competed in every meet, including the NCAA Qualifier.

He came to Nebraska as a product of Weyandt’s Gymnastics Academy in Charlotte, N.C. He was a six-time Junior Olympic national qualifier and a three-time North Carolina state champion.

Robinson earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Nebraska in 2010.

Robinson is married to former Scarlet, Rachel Russell. The couple has two daughters, Elizabeth (Ellie) and Finley, and one son, Brecken.