Bio
GAINESVILLE, Fla. –
Ernestine Weaver announced Tuesday her retirement as head coach of the University of Florida gymnastics team. She plans to join her husband, Jim, who has been the University of Nevada-Las Vegas athletic director since January. She will stay at UF through the summer.
"I talked with Ann Marie (Lawler, UF Associate AD for Women's Sports) at the NCAA Championships. Jim and I decided that the best thing for the program and for us is that I join him in Las Vegas.
"I feel like a strong gymnastics program has been built here at Florida. Florida's success in the conference has been instrumental in how other gymnastics schools in the SEC have recruited and developed. That is one thing I am proud of – I think I made a difference in this conference.
"There is a strong nucleus left on this team and there are a couple of strong recruits coming in for next season. I think this program will continue to be at the NCAA Championships each year.
"Jim and I made a lot of friends through the years here at Florida. There will be many happy memories from our time at UF."
Weaver joined the University of Florida in September of 1979 and developed the Gator program into one of the most successful and respected gymnastics programs in the nation. During her 13-year stay at UF, Weaver's teams posted a 185-48 regular-season record. She came to Florida from Clarion State University, where the Golden Eagles won AIAW team titles in 1977 and 1978. She posted a regular-season record of 243-48 during her 19-year collegiate coaching career.
Associate Athletic Director Ann Marie Lawler said Weaver's leadership was instrumental in the Gator gymnastics program's national prominence.
"I think the University of Florida gymnastics program and
Ernestine Weaver are synonymous. We've been very fortunate to have her here at Florida," said Lawler. "This has been the women's program with the greatest fan support. She not only built the support here at Florida, but developed an understanding and respect of the sport of gymnastics in the community. She's going to be very difficult to replace."
Lawler said the University of Florida will begin a national search immediately to find Weaver's replacement.
"The Gator gymnastics teams have been outstanding ambassadors for the University of Florida throughout the years," said Florida Athletic Director
Jeremy Foley. "That can be attributed to the fact that Ernestine has consistently attracted outstanding students as well as gymnasts to the University of Florida."
Her tenure at Florida includes one national championship and 11-straight NCAA Championship appearances. Florida won the final AIAW national gymnastics championships in 1982 and Weaver was tapped as the 1982 AIAW National Coach of the Year. She also was the 1992 National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches (NACGC) Coach of the Year. Florida is one of only two teams in the nation (Florida and Utah) that has qualified for every possible NCAA Championship. The NCAA began sanctioning women's championship events in 1982. The Gators posted their top NCAA finish of third in 1985.
The University of Florida claimed a league record of five Southeastern Conference team titles under Weaver. She was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1992. Florida also dominated the southeast region competition, claiming four NCAA Regional and two AIAW Regional team titles. Other coaching highlights include head coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, 1978 U.S. World Championships head coach and 1997 and 1985 U.S. World University Games head coach.
Gator student-athletes claimed one NCAA and four AIAW individual event titles during Weaver's tenure. Since 1980, Gator student-athletes have earned 35 All-America and 20 All-SEC honors. Gator gymnast have earned Academic All-SEC honors 37 times under Weaver and three UF gymnasts have earned NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships. Florida's Ann Woods earned the 1982 Broderick Award for gymnastics, an award given annually to each sports top female collegiate athlete.
Coaches reactions:
"By the time I came into the sport in 1976, Ernestine was already a legend in collegiate gymnastics, both in terms of her success as a competitor and as a coach. She also provided all of us leadership in terms of developing a promotional and marketing concept for women's gymnastics. Many of the things Ernestine did with her programs at Clarion and Florida I copied. She has truly been a leader and an innovator in women's collegiate gymnastics and will forever be legendary in the history of our sport."
Greg Marsden, Utah head coach, seven-time NCAA team champion
"Ernie set the standards in the SEC. When I came to Georgia nine years ago, I marveled at her success. She was already a legend, not only in the SEC but throughout college gymnastics.
"She set the pace for recruiting and choreography, adding to the excitement of the sport. She took charge of promoting and developing her program. She was the forerunner for promotions and attendance in all of college gymnastics. We got a lot of our ideas from Ernie. Her enthusiastic approach to coaching has been respected and emulated by all coaches, and we're certainly going to miss her in the SEC."
Suzanne Yoculan, Georgia head coach, two-time NCAA team champion
