IOWA STATE GYMNASTICS COACH TO OKLAHOMA

Jeremy · 06-08-2006, 02:52 PM

IOWA STATE GYMNASTICS COACH TO OKLAHOMA
Kindler was Iowa State's coach for the past six seasons.
June 8, 2006

AMES, Iowa - Former Iowa State University gymnastics coach K.J. Kinder has accepted a similar position at the University Oklahoma according to Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard.

"K.J. has played an integral role in making the gymnastics program at her alma mater one of the best in the country," Pollard said. "From her competitive days as an undergraduate to her time as an assistant coach under Amy Pyle to the past six years as head coach, she has raised the profile of the Cyclone program significantly."

Kindler's 2006 team won the Big 12 championship and qualified for the Super Six at the NCAA championships in April. The Super Six appearance was the first in Iowa State history.

"We are very disappointed to see Coach Kindler leave Iowa State University," Pollard said. "We offered her everything that we could reasonably offer."

Pollard and Senior Associate Athletics Director Calli Sanders met with Coach Kindler and offered her a five-year contract extension, a 60 percent salary increase (over two years), increased compensation packages for her two assistant coaches and bonus incentives for her staff for the first time in the history of the program.

In addition, the athletic department demonstrated a strong commitment to the program while Kindler was on staff by raising the sport's operating budget by nearly 50 percent in the last five years, successfully bidding to host the 2006 NCAA Regional, upgrading the home locker room for competitions and purchasing floor extensions for Hilton Coliseum.

"Coach Kindler told Calli and me that she is leaving Iowa State because she wants a new practice facility to replace the one she has in Beyer Hall. We have a vision for how we want to improve our overall facilities for Athletics and that information was shared with K.J. That plan, although it would enhance the gymnastics facilities significantly, didn't meet her timeframe," Pollard said.

Pollard said that finding Kindler's replacement is a top priority for his administration.

"Iowa State will remain nationally competitive in gymnastics and will not play second fiddle to any one," Pollard said. "The national search to identify a coach who can retain our national prominence and take us to even higher levels has begun. We will continue to invest in this program, hire a coach who shares our vision of gymnastics excellence and do everything in our power to keep the Big 12 gymnastics trophy in Ames."

Kindler was a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year and was the 2005 NACGCW National Coach of the Year. Her Cyclone teams qualified for two NCAA Championships, won one Big 12 title and registered a dual mark of 79-40-1. The 2006 team won a school-record 16 duals and was ranked as high as fourth nationally.

benjay · 06-08-2006, 03:01 PM

This is an OUTRAGE.

Jeremy · 06-08-2006, 03:33 PM

Well, they offered her everything she could have expected in a non-revenue making program at a college that is trying to form a path to overall excellence. I think she had her mind made up that she wanted to go to OU and wasn't willing to accept any offers made.

chuckd4735 · 06-08-2006, 03:48 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jeremy @ Jun 8 2006, 03:33 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> Well, they offered her everything she could have expected in a non-revenue making program at a college that is trying to form a path to overall excellence. I think she had her mind made up that she wanted to go to OU and wasn't willing to accept any offers made. [/b][/quote]

The way I understood it was that she gave OU a whole list of things she wanted if she were to take over there, not thinking they would ever offer her the job based on how much she asked for. When she was finally offered to job she went to Pollard with the same requests, saying that if he could meet them that would be the only way she would be able to stay with ISU. Like mentioned b4 her requests were just more then ISU could afford, so she decided to make the move to OU.

monkeybrow · 06-08-2006, 04:07 PM

we have gymnastics?????

ISU11 · 06-08-2006, 04:43 PM

this sucks.

some of my good friends are going to be senior gymnasts this year, and they have the chance to repeat as Big XII champs, now they have to work with a brand new coach?! it really sucks for them.

Chris · 06-08-2006, 05:54 PM

Wonder if we could get coach Rhonda Faehn from UF??

kberyldial · 06-08-2006, 06:17 PM

It's called holding a gun to Pollard's head. If he couldn't meet it it he couldn't meet it. Whatever... really.

kuney1 · 06-08-2006, 06:32 PM

Who really cares? It's not like it's a big revenue sport. Title IX is the outrage, women's sports are untouchable, but rarely break even. Pollard tried to retain her, but she evidently thinks OU is a better job over her alma mater. Bye, Bye.

Psyclone · 06-08-2006, 07:11 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(harley @ Jun 8 2006, 06:32 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> ...women's sports are untouchable, but rarely break even. [/b][/quote]

Name me one women's sport that breaks even. The last time I checked only FB and MBB were profitable.

dbronco7sc · 06-08-2006, 08:11 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ISU11 @ Jun 8 2006, 04:43 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> this sucks.

some of my good friends are going to be senior gymnasts this year, and they have the chance to repeat as Big XII champs, now they have to work with a brand new coach?! it really sucks for them. [/b][/quote]

I bet that we's gots the same friends... I was pretty bummed when I heard the news. She's done great things with the program and I keep hoping that this is just a joke. We have some awesome seniors and I'm praying that they get somebody good for them!

BryceC · 06-08-2006, 10:05 PM

Women's basketball at ISU comes very close to breaking even and a huge number of people really enjoy it.

chuckd4735 · 06-08-2006, 10:50 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(harley @ Jun 8 2006, 06:32 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'> Who really cares? It's not like it's a big revenue sport. Title IX is the outrage, women's sports are untouchable, but rarely break even. Pollard tried to retain her, but she evidently thinks OU is a better job over her alma mater. Bye, Bye. [/b][/quote]

No way man. She has won the only big 12 championship ISU has seen since we won it in Basketball 5 years ago. Our gymnastics team was just short of amazing this year. Any good publicity you can get for your athletic program is good, and KJ has consistintly done so. I am a fan of the Cyclones, not just their football and basketball teams. It was laso very nice to know that we had any easy 4 points towards the Cy-Hawk, cause she just flat out killed Iowa (winning by 2 or 3 points in gymnastics is a pretty big margin of victory).

She has her gymnist practicing in Beyer Hall without Air Conditioning, and besides that, Jamie cut funds to Gymnastics (not disagreeing with this move) the second he got her. She is one of the better coaches we had her at ISU and will be missed dearly. She was good for the community, as well as an alum, and she will be going to a sports program that can pay her more, as well as give her more of what she wants.

iamtumbler · 06-09-2006, 02:19 AM

This is truely a sad day for the Cyclone Nation. I followed the team for the Daily for two years and knew the entire team and staff quite well. I'm sure it was a difficult decision for KJ to make. We are truely losing one of the nation's top gymnastics coaches... she knew how to put together teams of talented girls who got a long and truely worked as a team. She also took good athletes with potetial and made them great by pushing them to learn new skills and perfect great routines. She is also hands down the best choreographer in NCAA gymnastics... I watched her athletes at two national championships and not even the power-houses like Alabama and Georgia come close to putting together the routines that KJ can put together... both difficult and entertaining. Unfortunately, our assisant coach Lou Ball, her husband, will also follow her to Oklahoma. He was the national assistant coach of the year two years ago and has won several reginal assiant coach of the year titles. We are still left with a remarkably talented team and I agree with those above that we can find a coach worthy of their calaber. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img]

kuney1 · 06-09-2006, 08:14 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Psyclone @ Jun 8 2006, 07:11 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>

Name me one women's sport that breaks even. The last time I checked only FB and MBB were profitable. [/b][/quote]

Isn't that what I said? Okay, I'll take out rarely and insert never, happy now?