Jordyn Wieber Steps Down as Arkansas Gymnastics Head Coach

Arkansas Gymnastics announced Monday that Jordyn Wieber is stepping down as head coach, with assistant Chris Brooks being promoted to the position effective immediately.

It's a significant shift for a program that's grown into one of the sport's most talked-about names over the last several years.

But the Razorbacks aren't turning to an outsider. They're keeping it in the family.

"I would like to thank Hunter Yurachek and the University of Arkansas Athletics Department for the incredible opportunity to lead this program," Brooks said in a statement the UA released. "I am grateful for the foundation that Jordyn has helped build through the last seven seasons. We will continue with the same heart, soul and vision for the program.

"The next chapter is an exciting one for my family and for the Gymbacks and I'm excited to get going. Wooo Pig!"

It took everyone 🐗❤️ pic.twitter.com/qWgL67Jaad
— Arkansas Gymnastics 🐗 (@RazorbackGym) April 21, 2026

Wieber Leaves on Her Own Terms

Wieber is stepping away from athletics to focus on her family and other passions. For a coach who dedicated seven years to building the Gymbacks into a national contender,

the decision clearly didn't come easy.

"Serving as head coach of Arkansas Gymnastics has been an honor," Wieber said in a stateent. "I'm deeply grateful to our student-athletes, staff and Razorback fans for an unforgettable journey.

"With a heavy, but full heart and immense pride in what we have accomplished, I'm stepping away from athletics to focus on my family and other passions. I'm excited for what's ahead and will forever be cheering on the Razorbacks!"

The numbers she leaves behind tell the story of a program transformed. In her seven seasons, Wieber led the Gymbacks to two team national championship appearances, 30 combined All-America honors and 40 total All-SEC nods.

All of Arkansas' top 10 team scores in program history came under Wieber's watch, along with program bests on vault, beam and floor. That's not a coincidence, that's a coaching culture built from the ground up.

Athletics director Hunter Yurachek didn't hold back when reflecting on what Wieber meant to the program.

"I am so grateful for Coach Wieber and everything she has done for our gymnastics program," he said in a statement. "What she and her staff have accomplished over the last seven years has simply been phenomenal. She has built our program into one of the elite programs in the nation while connecting with our fanbase in a new, energetic way to make our home meets inside Bud Walton Arena must-see events."

For your immeasurable impact and an unforgettable seven seasons — thank you, Coach Wieber 🐗❤️ pic.twitter.com/awbtSU3HYs
— Arkansas Gymnastics 🐗 (@RazorbackGym) April 28, 2026

A Program That Grew Beyond the Gym

Wieber didn't just build a winning team on the competition floor. She built a brand.

The Hogs were ranked in the top 10 nationally in average attendance each season under her leadership, a stretch that included two sellouts of Barnhill Arena.

The growth was big enough that the program needed a bigger stage.

Beginning with the 2025 season, the Gymbacks moved to Bud Walton Arena full time and the program responded by setting new single-season (39,574) and average (7,915) attendance records.

The momentum didn't slow heading into 2026. On March 6, Arkansas drew 15,512 fans to Bud Walton Arena — a new program and SEC gymnastics attendance record.

The success wasn't limited to ticket sales and scoreboards.

In each year since Wieber's arrival, the Hogs placed double-digit athletes on the SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll and posted a program GPA of at least 3.35, reaching a program record 3.72 in 2025.

The Chris Brooks Era begins now 🐗

Congratulations to a familiar face, our new head coach @cbrooks_wpr!

📰 https://t.co/LrWVOMMuzl pic.twitter.com/Y3HlJ9zykh
— Arkansas Gymnastics 🐗 (@RazorbackGym) April 28, 2026

Brooks Ready to Lead

Brooks isn't walking into an unfamiliar situation. He's been part of this program since day one of the Wieber era.

He joined the Gymbacks as an assistant when Wieber was hired in 2019 and has served as the team's primary uneven bars coach while also assisting with vault.

His fingerprints are already all over the program's record book.

Eight of Arkansas' best 13 bars scores in program history came under Brooks and the Razorbacks have consistently ranked in the top 20 in the event each season.

Over those seven seasons, the Hogs earned seven combined All-America honors and three All-SEC honors on bars.

Three Gymbacks — Maggie O'Hara, Sarah Shaffer and Maddie Jones — also qualified to nationals as individuals on bars, the most of any event since 2020.

He's also made his mark on vault. Brooks helped guide then-freshman Lauren Williams to All-SEC recognition in 2023 and she earned a berth to nationals on the event. the Gymbacks' first on vault since 2014.

A Decorated Background

Brooks brings more than just familiarity with the program. He brings a résumé built on excellence at every level.

Before arriving at Arkansas, he had coaching stints with the Nebraska women's program and the Oklahoma men's program, his alma mater.

At Nebraska, he helped lead the Huskers to a nationals berth and a sixth-place finish in 2018, coaching the vault and floor squads.

He then spent the 2019 season at Oklahoma, where the Sooner men finished second at the NCAA Championships and claimed their eighth straight MPSF conference title.

His competitive career was just as decorated. Brooks was a two-time national champion at Oklahoma in 2006 and 2008 and finished his collegiate career as a seven-time All-American across multiple events.

He was also a standout elite gymnast with four individual national titles and was named to two Olympic teams — as an alternate for the 2012 London Games and as team captain of the 2016 squad that competed in Rio de Janeiro.

Yurachek made clear that the choice to elevate Brooks was straightforward once Wieber made her decision known.

"After learning of Coach Wieber's desire to step away from athletics, my mind immediately focused on how to keep the program's momentum moving forward," he said. "Coach Brooks' passion, energy and coaching knowledge made him an easy choice. His work alongside Coach Wieber has helped turn the Gymbacks into what they are today. I believe Coach Brooks will continue to grow our program moving forward."

The Razorbacks don't skip a beat in leadership. They hand the keys to someone who helped build the car.

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