NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Southern Connecticut State University Director of Athletics & Recreation Terrance Jones has announced that Jerry Nelson has been named the women's gymnastics program's interim head coach, effective June 18, 2024. Nelson was the Owls' head coach for 15 years from 2005 through the 2018-19 season and served as the Owls' interim head coach in 2020.
"I'm thrilled to welcome Jerry Nelson back to Southern Connecticut," Jones said. "Jerry played such a monumental role in the development of the program to where it is today. He has a history of leading the Owls to athletic and academic success as well as community involvement. We're thankful for his return during this transitional period."
Nelson will serve as the Owls' interim coach for the 2024-25 season before Southern Connecticut will conduct a nationwide search to fill the permanent position. Nelson replaces Byron Knox, who served as the Owls' head coach from 2020 through 2024. Knox took Southern gymnasts to post-season competition in the three seasons after COVID suspended competition in 2020. Former Owl captain Isabella Antonangeli will also return as an assistant coach for the upcoming season. SCSU Athletics thanks Coach Knox for his years of service to SCSU and wish him the best in his future endeavors.
Nelson was the 2007 National Coach of the Year, earned four ECAC Gymnastics Coach of the Year honors, and guided Southern to three ECAC Gymnastics Championships. Nelson's squads also featured an All-American in 12 of his 15 seasons as the Owls' head coach as well as 82 USA Gymnastics All-America Scholar-Athletes, 73 WGCA Scholar-Athletes, 19 All-Americans, eight ECAC Scholar-Athletes of the Year, five ECAC Rookies of the Year, and four student-athletes who have earned ECAC Athlete of the Year or Most Outstanding Performer laurels. SCSU has had 17 ECAC champions in that stretch, as well.
In addition to his position at SCSU, Nelson has also served as Chairman of the USA Gymnastics Collegiate Women's Championship Committee and on the Executive Committee for the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women. Nelson spent three years as the chairman of the Greater New Haven Convention and Visitors' Bureau's New Haven Sports Committee, designed to maximize resources and attract significant sporting events to New Haven. And he is a National Safety Instructor for USAG and recognized in the safety handbook for his contributions to the success of the program.
Prior to joining the staff at Southern, Nelson was the owner and coach at Nelson's Gymnastics Centers in the southern Connecticut area from 1974-99, where he worked with more than 15,000 young gymnasts through the years at five gym locations.
Nelson is a SCSU graduate and was a member of the Owls' 1973 and 1975
NCAA Division II National Championship men's gymnastics team for Olympic coach Abie Grossfeld.
