TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State gymnastics head coach Jay Santos has announced the hire of Kristin White as the new assistant coach for the Gym Devils.
"Kristin is going to make a definite impact on our program," Santos said. "She understands what it is like to compete and coach at the highest levels of our sport, and I have no doubt that her knowledge and experiences will resonate with our student-athletes and help us to continue to improve this program. We are very excited that she is joining the Gym Devil family!"
After two seasons as an assistant coach at Iowa State, White is moving to the desert. Her primary responsibilities with the Cyclones were balance beam and floor, including choreographing floor routines.
"I want to thank Jay and Jess Santos and the entire athletic department for this tremendous opportunity," White said. "I am excited to get on campus and help guide these young women to new heights, both in the classroom and on the competition floor. Arizona State has a rich tradition of excellence, and I couldn't be more excited to officially become part of the Sun Devil Family!"
During her two years at Iowa State, she helped the team finish ranked No. 20 both seasons. In 2020, the team ended the year ranked No. 16 on floor, moving up 23 spots from where they finished the previous year. On beam, the Cyclones finished at No. 24 on beam in 2020, improving nine spots from 2019's No. 33 rank. Throughout the year, White helped the team to a 49.000 or better on floor in every meet but one, as well as six 49.000-pluses on beam. Additionally, she helped Iowa State to four ranked wins in 2020, including a victory in the dual meet against No. 11 Western Michigan.
In White's first season in 2019, she coached the team to a 49.000 or better on floor five times and on beam twice. White helped coach the beam lineup to a 49.150 against Oklahoma on March 11, which was tied for the fifth-highest team beam score in the last five years at Iowa State. She also helped the team advance to the NCAA regionals for the third year in a row, a streak which continued to four-straight appearances in 2020.
Prior to her time at Iowa State, White spent five years working at her childhood club of Dynamo Gymnastics, a two-time Region III Program of the Year in 2015 and 2016. She worked as a Team Coach and Choreographer and was named the 2016 Oklahoma State Coach of the Year. White helped coach teams to state championships throughout her entire tenure at Dynamo, along with coaching Junior Olympic National Team members. Before her work at Dynamo, White spent a year as the Team Director and Coach at 10.0 Academy in Stow, Massachusetts.
After graduating from Oklahoma in May 2010 with her Bachelor's Degree in Human Relations, White stayed in Norman, and joined the OU coaching staff as a graduate assistant. She graduated with her Master's Degree in Adult and Higher Education in 2012.
"Kristin has come full circle, and I have had the honor of recruiting her, coaching her, watching her career blossom and celebrating her success," Oklahoma gymnastics head coach KJ Kindler said. "She is a student of the sport and her combination of professional experiences have prepared her to develop student-athletes to their ultimate potential in all walks of life. She has always shown a tremendous ability to inspire others around her and to effectively reach student-athletes. ASU is getting one of the best technical coaches, motivators and mentors out there, no doubt in my mind."
As a student-athlete at Oklahoma, White helped lead Oklahoma to a trio of Big 12 team championships from 2008-10, and a second-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2010. That season, White closed out her OU gymnastics career with a pair of All-America honors on balance beam and in floor exercise. Outside of competition, she was a three-time recipient of OU's Outstanding Community Service Award, spent three years as a member of Oklahoma's Student Athlete Advisory Committee and two years on OU's Athletics Council.
"Kristin is going to make a definite impact on our program," Santos said. "She understands what it is like to compete and coach at the highest levels of our sport, and I have no doubt that her knowledge and experiences will resonate with our student-athletes and help us to continue to improve this program. We are very excited that she is joining the Gym Devil family!"
After two seasons as an assistant coach at Iowa State, White is moving to the desert. Her primary responsibilities with the Cyclones were balance beam and floor, including choreographing floor routines.
"I want to thank Jay and Jess Santos and the entire athletic department for this tremendous opportunity," White said. "I am excited to get on campus and help guide these young women to new heights, both in the classroom and on the competition floor. Arizona State has a rich tradition of excellence, and I couldn't be more excited to officially become part of the Sun Devil Family!"
During her two years at Iowa State, she helped the team finish ranked No. 20 both seasons. In 2020, the team ended the year ranked No. 16 on floor, moving up 23 spots from where they finished the previous year. On beam, the Cyclones finished at No. 24 on beam in 2020, improving nine spots from 2019's No. 33 rank. Throughout the year, White helped the team to a 49.000 or better on floor in every meet but one, as well as six 49.000-pluses on beam. Additionally, she helped Iowa State to four ranked wins in 2020, including a victory in the dual meet against No. 11 Western Michigan.
In White's first season in 2019, she coached the team to a 49.000 or better on floor five times and on beam twice. White helped coach the beam lineup to a 49.150 against Oklahoma on March 11, which was tied for the fifth-highest team beam score in the last five years at Iowa State. She also helped the team advance to the NCAA regionals for the third year in a row, a streak which continued to four-straight appearances in 2020.
Prior to her time at Iowa State, White spent five years working at her childhood club of Dynamo Gymnastics, a two-time Region III Program of the Year in 2015 and 2016. She worked as a Team Coach and Choreographer and was named the 2016 Oklahoma State Coach of the Year. White helped coach teams to state championships throughout her entire tenure at Dynamo, along with coaching Junior Olympic National Team members. Before her work at Dynamo, White spent a year as the Team Director and Coach at 10.0 Academy in Stow, Massachusetts.
After graduating from Oklahoma in May 2010 with her Bachelor's Degree in Human Relations, White stayed in Norman, and joined the OU coaching staff as a graduate assistant. She graduated with her Master's Degree in Adult and Higher Education in 2012.
"Kristin has come full circle, and I have had the honor of recruiting her, coaching her, watching her career blossom and celebrating her success," Oklahoma gymnastics head coach KJ Kindler said. "She is a student of the sport and her combination of professional experiences have prepared her to develop student-athletes to their ultimate potential in all walks of life. She has always shown a tremendous ability to inspire others around her and to effectively reach student-athletes. ASU is getting one of the best technical coaches, motivators and mentors out there, no doubt in my mind."
As a student-athlete at Oklahoma, White helped lead Oklahoma to a trio of Big 12 team championships from 2008-10, and a second-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2010. That season, White closed out her OU gymnastics career with a pair of All-America honors on balance beam and in floor exercise. Outside of competition, she was a three-time recipient of OU's Outstanding Community Service Award, spent three years as a member of Oklahoma's Student Athlete Advisory Committee and two years on OU's Athletics Council.