John Robinson

Honors and Awards

• NCAA All-Around Competitor
• MPSF Gymnast of the Week (Feb. 2010)
• Winter Cup Finalist (2010) 
• Nebraska's Hartung Award Winner (2010)
• Nebraska's Most Inspirational Gymnast (2009)
• Nebraska's Most Improved Gymnast (2008)
• Four-Time Letterman 
• Six-Time Junior Olympic National Qualifier
• Three-Time North Carolina State Champion 
• Nebraska Men's Gymnastics Assistant Coach 2011-Present

John Robinson enters his 13th season as a Nebraska assistant coach in 2023. Robinson handles most of the team’s recruiting, marketing, fundraising and program development. His coaching methodology focuses on structured design plans and setting up competition environments in practice. Robinson has been a key contributor in producing many of the program’s top gymnasts in recent years including All-Americans Wyatt Aycock, Jake Bonnay, Khalil Jackson, Griffin Kehler, Grant Perdue, 2014 Big Ten still rings medalist Robbie Kocks, and three-time Big Ten vault gold medalist Anton Stephenson. 

In 2022, Robinson helped NU to a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. He helped produce two All-Americans (Dillan King and Donte McKinney). 

In 2021, Robinson helped the Huskers to 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 and 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. Despite this, 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 and Anton Stephenson). Robinson also helped coach 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. Robinson also helped develop the vault program, as Anton Stephenson placed second at the NCAA Championships and three Huskers (Anton Stephenson, Jake Bonnay and Kyle King) placed in the top three at the Big Ten Championships. 

In 2017, Robinson helped the Huskers to 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 Big Ten 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. 

John Robinson joined the Nebraska Men's Gymnastics coaching staff in 2011. 

Prior to Coaching at Nebraska
A former Husker gymnast, Robinson competed in the all-around for three of his four seasons at Nebraska. He was a four-year lettermen at NU from 2007-2010.

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 - 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. He looks to continue his career in coaching and aspires to break into the international coaching scene.
Robinson is married to former Scarlet, Rachel Russell. The couple has two daughters, Elizabeth (Ellie) and Finley, and one son, Brecken.