Terps' Nelligan To Retire After 31 Years
9/8/2008 8:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Sept. 8, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Longtime women's gymnastics coach Bob Nelligan will retire from the University of Maryland at the end of the 2009 season, Nelligan and director of athletics Deborah A. Yow announced Monday.
His son, Brett, who has been an assistant coach since 2003, has been promoted to associate head coach for the upcoming season. He will assume head-coaching duties beginning May 1, 2009.
Bob Nelligan will end his coaching career after 31 seasons with the Terrapins. He has been the face of Maryland gymnastics since 1979 and begins the 2009 season in January with a career mark of 477-426-4. He has achieved 18 winning seasons at Maryland and 18 NCAA regional championship appearances.
"I'm proud of the accomplishments of the program athletically, but it's been tremendously rewarding to me to have an impact on the lives of our student-athletes in so many other ways," said Bob Nelligan.
"My tenure as a Maryland coach has been one of the most personally and professionally rewarding experiences of my life," said Bob Nelligan. "It has been my greatest honor to represent the University of Maryland Athletics Department. In retiring, I have the laughter of 30 years of coaching etched into my face and a heart full of memories."
Noted as a passionate and caring coach, Bob Nelligan's energy and positive nature have been hallmarks of his tenure.
"Coach Nelligan will retire with our most sincere and heartfelt gratitude for his service to Maryland Athletics," said Yow. "We are pleased to select Brett as our next head coach of gymnastics, expect great things from him and hope to see Bob return for many years to cheer on the Terps."
On his father's coaching staff, Brett Nelligan has served as recruiting coordinator and been responsible for coaching vault and tumbling. In 2007, the vault was the highest scoring event for the team.
"This is a very exciting day for me both personally and professionally," said Brett Nelligan. "I look forward to taking the reins of a program built on the principles of honor, ethics and integrity and with a history of national achievement, strong alumni relationships, and respect in the campus and local community. I am committed to building on my father's successes to make Maryland Gymnastics one of the premier programs in the country."
A 2003 graduate of the University of Massachusetts with a degree in sports management, Brett Nelligan competed for three years on the Minutemen men's gymnastics team, serving two seasons as a co-captain. He finished in the top 10 on vault at the NCAA Championship and third at the 2001 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships.
Brett Nelligan was also an Academic All-American for two seasons and helped UMass win two ECAC team titles. Following the cancellation of the men's gymnastics program, Brett turned his attention to diving and aided his team to the 2003 Atlantic-10 Conference title.
"Brett understands the mechanisms of where the sport is going," Bob Nelligan said of his son. "With Brett, you are seeing the emergence of a national coach." Bob Nelligan's stamp on the program has been strong, as his teams have achieved success both athletically and academically.
In 2008, Maryland had five All-EAGL first-team selections and three All-East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) second-team selections. Since 1996, Maryland has had five team finishes in the top three at the EAGL Championships.
In 2008, 13 Terrapin gymnasts earned All-EAGL academic honors, including Scholar-Athlete of the Year Gretchen Kittelberger, who was a first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American. Gymnastics has won the President's Cup Team GPA Award four straight times and eight times in the 12-year history of the award.
During Bob Nelligan's career with the Terps, they qualified for the NCAA Southeast Region Championships 14 times, including six consecutive times from 1983 to '89 and four consecutive times from 1998-2001. Prior to the Terps' entrance into the Southeast Region in the 1983-84 season, the Terps competed in the East Region and qualified for the championships four of the seven seasons that they were members.
Bob Nelligan has the respect of all of his colleagues at Maryland and nationwide, and is recognized as one of the top gymnastics coaches in the country. In 1999, he was acknowledged for his contributions to collegiate gymnastics when he was honored as both the East Atlantic Gymnastics League Coach of the Year and Southeast Region Coach of the Year, the first awards he had received in a prestigious career.
Bob Nelligan, nicknamed "Duke," is responsible for ensuring that this level of success is constantly maintained. The dedication and enthusiasm of the Terrapin gymnasts is a direct reflection of his attitude and work ethic.
"Duke is one of the most technical coaches in all of collegiate gymnastics. His passion for the sport and support for his athletes is unrivaled. My father has done so much for me throughout my gymnastics career, it is a complete honor to be able to assist him with his," said Brett Nelligan.
Bob Nelligan is also a director and master staff member at the Woodward Gymnastics Camp in Woodward, Pa., and is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches, the U.S. Elite Coaches Association and the chairman of the first National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches (NACGC) ethics committee.
Nelligan has also taught numerous classes regarding athletics and is striving to take athletics to another level through his pioneering of a wellness program for all varsity athletes at Maryland. This program is currently in the process of being implemented to select track and field athletes and will ensure that athletes achieve their highest potential through the best means possible.
Originally from Braintree, Mass., Bob Nelligan has more than 30 years of gymnastics experience. Prior to accepting the position of head coach at Maryland for the 1978-1979 season, Nelligan worked in various capacities at the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. From 1973 to 1978 he was a physical education instructor at the Masters School and also coached several teams, including gymnastics, lacrosse and softball. In addition to these responsibilities, Nelligan was named the Chairman of the Physical Education Department in 1975 for the Masters School.
From 1972 to 1973, Nelligan coached at the Marvateens Gymnastics School in Rockville, Md., and before that was an instructor and coach at the Weymouth South School in Weymouth, Mass. Nelligan received his B.S. in physical education from the University of Massachusetts in 1971.
Nelligan and his wife, Chris, have two children; Brett and Kelsey, who is co-captain of the team and is on track to graduate in May 2009.
