Penn State Declines to Renew Contract of Longtime Coach

Penn State men's gymnastics coach Randy Jepson is out after 45 years with the program.

A general view of a Penn State University sign outside of Beaver Stadium. | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Another Penn State team will undergo a coaching change, as Athletic Director Pat Kraft announced that the program will not renew men's gymanastics coach Randy Jepson's contract. Jepson served with the Penn State men's gynmastics staff for 45 years, including 35 as the head coach.

Penn State also announced that Tony Beck, a former Nittany Lions gymnast and a 10-year assistant, will become head coach. Beck had been the team's associate head coach since 2023.

“Randy's contributions to Penn State Athletics and college gymnastics are immeasurable,” Kraft said in a statement. "He has been devoted to Penn State for 45 years, including 35 years as a head coach, during which he won three national championships and impacted countless student-athletes who have come through this program.

"Randy has built one of college gymnastics' most iconic programs. His impact on Penn State and this community is unmatched. We are incredibly proud of what he has accomplished here at Penn State and are forever grateful for his dedication, passion and unwavering commitment to this university. We wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”

Thank you, Coach Jepson 🤝#WeAre pic.twitter.com/V1mPIypdat

— Penn State Men’s Gymnastics (@PennStateMGYM) May 15, 2026

Jepson was a three-time national coach of the year at Penn State, leading the men's gymnastics team to three NCAA championships, the most recent in 2007. Jepson coached his team to 14 individual national championships and nearly 450 victories.

He also coached eight Olympians, most recently U.S. pommel horse star Stephen Nedoroscik. Among the national champions Jepson coached was MArk Sohn, the first gymnast in NCAA history to win four consecutive pommel horse titles.

In his time at Penn State, Beck helped Penn State win its first Big Ten regular-season title in 2025. The Nittany Lions also won the conference title in 2019. Beck also contributed to the program's development of 29 All-Americans and three NCAA individual champions.

“I am thrilled to name Tony Beck our next head coach of Penn State Men's Gymnastics,” Kraft said in the statement. “He has helped build one of the premier programs in the country, contributing to three individual NCAA titles, 27 All-America honors, and coaching two Olympians. He is respected in the college gymnastics landscape, a great recruiter and a coach who develops young men both inside and outside the gym. We are confident he is the right person to lead this program and we cannot wait to see what he builds here at Penn State.”

He’s been a part of the program since 2008. Now he leads it.

The seventh head coach in program history, Tony Beck.#WeAre pic.twitter.com/sNovSbFt3C

— Penn State Men’s Gymnastics (@PennStateMGYM) May 15, 2026

Kraft has made significant changes to Penn State's coaching roster in his four years as athletic director. Most notably, he became the first Penn State athletic director to fire a head football coach during the regular season. Kraft also hired a new women's basketball coach this year, replacing Carolyn Kieger with Penn State alumna Tanisha Wright.

Penn State has announced six coaching changes during the 2025-26 athletic year. Among them, Kraft also did not renew the contract of former field hockey coach Lisa Bervinchak Love. According to Darian Somers, who tracks Penn State sports at the Stuff Somers Says site, Kraft has hired 14 of Penn State's 24 head coaches since becoming athletic director in July 2022.

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