Justin Spring - Gymnastics Coach

Justin Spring

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
jspring@ia.ua.edu
Phone:
205-348-3600

Personal Information

Hometown: Burke, Va.
Education: Illinois, 2006 (bachelor's); Illinois, 2014 (master's)
Spouse: Tori
Children: Callie, Cody, Elliot

Coaching Experience

2024-present: Alabama, Associate Head Coach
2022-23: Alabama, Assistant Coach
2011-22: Illinois, Head Coach (Men's)
2007-10: Illinois, Assistant Coach (Men's)

Playing Experience

2016-19: Illinois

Justin Spring, entering his fourth season with the Crimson Tide, joined the Alabama gymnastics staff in June 2022. Ahead of the 2025 season, Spring was promoted to associate head coach.

Spring's Time at Alabama

2025 Season

In his third season on staff and first as associate head coach, Spring oversaw the Tide’s vault rotation
Saw Corinne Bunagan earn WCGA Championship All-America honors on the apparatus in her senior season
Guided Alabama to score above a 49.075 on the apparatus in all but one meet this season
Directed the Tide to close to 20 routines of 9.9-or higher on vault
Has the Tide ranked fourth in the region and fifth in the SEC, while also holding a top-10 national ranking on vault with a NQS of 49.305

2024 Season

In his second season as an assistant coach on the Alabama Gymnastics staff, Spring mainly oversaw the Tide's vault unit
At the Ann Arbor Regional Final, Spring led Alabama's vault lineup, highlighted by a 9.900 score from Luisa Blanco, as the Tide clinched its 39th NCAA Championships semifinal appearance in program history
Under Spring's leadership, UA finished the year scoring a 49.125-or-higher on the apparatus, helping direct the Tide to 22 routines of 9.9-or higher on vault
- Luisa Blanco recorded a perfect 10.0 score in a quad meet during the regular season
- Lilly Hudson also recorded a perfect 10.0 score, at Florida
Saw Jamison Sears be named SEC Specialist of the Week for her podium finish on the apparatus in Alabama's home quad meet, scoring the highest by a SEC freshman not competing in the all-around
Had the Tide finish the regular season ranked fourth in both the conference and the region, while also holding a top-10 national ranking on vault with a NQS of 49.380

2023 Season

In his first season as an assistant coach on the Alabama Gymnastics staff, Spring mainly oversaw the Tide's vault unit
Under Spring's leadership, UA finished the year scoring a 49.000-or-higher on the apparatus, helping direct the Tide to 22 routines of 9.9-or higher on vault
Had the Tide finish the regular season ranked third in the region and fourth in the conference, while also holding a top-10 national ranking on vault with a NQS of 49.380

At Illinois (Coach)

Served on the Illinois men's gymnastics coaching staff for 16 seasons, 12 of which as head coach
Named National Coach of the Year in 2012 after guiding the Fighting Illini to its 10th NCAA Championship - the youngest coach in NCAA history to earn the honor, at 28 years old
Led Illinois to 11 top-six finishes at the NCAA Championships, including the 2012 title, as well as four Big Ten championships, with the last coming in 2018
Guided 11 gymnasts to individual NCAA titles in his 12 seasons as head coach, including three NCAA champions in 2010, 2011 and 2012
Saw Illinoi accumulate 79 All-America honors in his tenure as head coach, and was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2018
Named the Central Region Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2011, while also earning Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2009

At Illinois (Student-Athlete)

13-time All-American
Earned the 2006 Nissen-Emery Award, an honor that goes to the top senior male gymnast in the nation
Led the Illini to runner-up finishes at the 2006 NCAA and Big Ten Championships
2006 NCAA Parallel Bars champion, as well as the 2006 NCAA High Bar co-champion
2006 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year
2006 Big Ten champion - Parallel Bars, All-Around
2005 U.S. National High Bar champion
2005 NCAA Parallel Bars champion
2004 NCAA High Bar champion
2004 Big Ten Floor Exercise champion
Three-time All-Big Ten Team Member
Two-time UI Dike Eddleman Athlete of the Year (2004, 2006)
Illinois School Record Holder (FX, VT, PB, HB)
Two-year team captain

At the Olympics

Served as an NBC Commentator during the men's gymnastics competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics
- Awarded an Emmy (NBC and Peacock’s Games of the XXXIII Olympiad - Outstanding Live Special, Championship Event category) for his efforts at the Games
Was on the live broadcast as the 2024 men's gymnastics team captured its first Olympic medal since 2008, the same year Spring and Team USA won bronze
Led Team USA to a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
In the 2008 Olympic team finals, Spring led Team USA to an unexpected bronze, scoring 15.900 on vault, a team-leading 15.850 on parallel bars, a 15.675 on horizontal bar and a 15.200 on floor exercise in the three-up, three-count format

National and International Success

U.S. Olympian and eight-time member of the U.S. Senior National Team member
2008 Visa U.S. Championships Gold Medalist - Parallel Bars
2007 Pan American Games Team Member - Bronze Medal
2007 Pan American Gold Medalist - Parallel Bars
2007 Visa U.S. Championships Gold Medalist - High Bar
2007 Visa U.S. Championships Silver Medalist - Floor Exercise
2007 Moscow World Cup Silver Medalist - High Bar
2005 World Championships U.S. Team Member
2005 Visa U.S. Championships Gold Medalist - High Bar
2005 Winter Cup Champion - High Bar
2005 American Cup Silver Medalist - High Bar
2003 World University Games Team Member

About Spring

Graduated from Illinois in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in speech communication and earned his master's in recreation, sports and tourism in 2014
Spring and his wife, Tori, have three children, sons Cody and Elliot, and daughter Callie