Rob Drass Hired To Coach Women's Gymnastics
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
June 17, 1999
COLUMBIA, MO. -- The next era for the women's gymnastics program at the University of Missouri will be guided by Rob Drass, who has been hired as the Tigers' new head coach, Director of Athletics Michael Alden has announced.
Drass, 31, replaces Charles "Jake" Jacobson, who is retiring after 20 years in the position. Jacobson began the Missouri gymnastics program in 1979.
"I'm confident that we've hired an individual who can take this program to the next level," Alden said. "Rob Drass has been associated with teams throughout his career that have competed at the highest level. During the interview process, he impressed everyone with his knowledge, confidence and enthusiasm."
Drass has been the top assistant for the University of Nebraska's nationally ranked gymnastics team for the past eight years. He served as a graduate assistant coach from 1991-92, then was elevated to his present position in 1993. He was the Cornhuskers' primary floor exercise coach and worked closely with Head Coach Dan Kendig in coaching uneven bars.
He was the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches 1996 Midwest Regional Assistant Coach of the Year.
"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to run my own program," Drass said. "I think the opportunities here at the University of Missouri are without limit. I look forward to taking this program into the Top 10 in the next couple of years.
"Jake has done a very good job at Missouri. When Nebraska competed here this year, I was impressed. I thought Missouri had a very good team."
Nebraska gymnastics has enjoyed tremendous success under Drass, earning a berth at the NCAA Championships in four of the past five seasons, highlighted by NCAA Super Six Finals appearances in both 1997 and 1999. As an assistant, Drass helped NU claim an unprecedented six straight conference titles from 1994 to 1999.
Under Drass' tutelage, four different NU gymnasts earned All-America honors, including Heather Brink, Misty Oxford and Courtney Brown in 1999 - the first time NU had three floor exercise All-Americans in the same season. The Huskers were ranked seventh in the nation in the event this past season, the best ranking in school history, as NU scored 49.0 or better in eight straight meets, including a 49.35 at the NCAA Region 3 Championships. It was also the first time in school history the Huskers scored 49 or better on floor in four or more straight meets.
In 1997, Kim DeHaan and Oxford earned All-America honors in the floor exercise, marking the first time that Nebraska had All-Americans in the event. Over the past three seasons, the Huskers scored 49 or better 15 times, including a school-record score of 49.50 against Penn State in 1997. At the conference level, Drass' pupils have enjoyed a great deal of success, winning four of the past five conference championships, including DeHaan in 1995 and 1996, Oxford in 1998 and Brink in 1999.
On the uneven bars, Joy Taylor (1995), Shelly Bartlett (1997) and DeHaan (1996-97) all captured All-America awards under Drass. At the conference level, Martha Jenkins (1994), DeHaan (1996), Bartlett (1997) and Heather Brink (1997-98) have won or shared five conference individual titles since 1994.
Brink has recently been named to the U. S. World University Games team that will compete in Spain in July.
Drass was a gymnast at Penn State from 1987 to 1990. As a Nittany Lion, Drass competed at the NCAA Championships all four years.
A seasoned gymnast who began competing at age nine, Drass began his coaching career while in college, as the assistant boys' gymnastics coach at the McCracken's Gym School in Kansas City in 1987. He served as the head boys' coach at the Nittany Gym School in Pennsylvania in the summer of 1988. Since 1989, Drass has worked at the Woodward Gymnastics Camp in Pennsylvania during the summer along with Kendig.
Drass graduated from Penn State with a bachelor's degree in marketing in 1990. He completed his master's degree in strategic management and long-range planning at Nebraska in May 1994. He is married to former Husker All-America gymnast Joy Taylor. She is beginning her fourth year of medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and will be taking some of her rotations at the University of Missouri Medical School during the next year. She hopes to complete her residency in pediatrics at MU in the future.
He'll officially begin his duties at Mizzou on Mon., June 21. Jacobson will remain with the University through September to aid in the transition.
