Iowa hires Washington gymnastics coach Jen Llewellyn

Washington gymnastics head coach Jen Llewellyn left the Huskies for Iowa on Thursday, per an announcement from the Hawkeyes.

The Iowa Hawkeyes announced Thursday morning that they hired former Washington head gymnastics coach Jen Llewellyn as the fifth coach in the program’s history.

Llewellyn had led the Huskies to three straight second-round regional appearances, including a 2023 appearance in the final sixteen. One gymnast under her tutelage also qualified for the NCAA National Championships in the all-around.

From nearby Kenmore, Washington, Llewellyn was a three-time All-American and the national runner-up on the bars at Oregon State in the late 2000s.

Washington hired Llewellyn from Lindenwood, where she had been since the Lions opened their gymnastics program in 2012. She was named the USA Gymnastics Head Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2016, leading the Lions to six straight conference championships and three USA Gymnastics national championships.

Lindenwood was also the third-ever Division II program selected to NCAA Regionals when the Lions earned a bid in 2019 under Llewellyn, who was named a Division II Regional Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2021.

Washington saw Skylar Killough-Wilhelm earn two All-American honors and Killough-Wilhelm and Emily Innes share the NCAA Regional floor championship in 2024.

Llewellyn’s husband Cody was an assistant coach for the Huskies and has coached with Llewellyn since her time at Lindenwood, which leaves Washington without a clear in-house replacement following her departure.