MacPherson Elevated to Associate Head Coach
7/26/2019 12:56:00 PM | Gymnastics
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou head gymnastics coach Shannon Welker announced the promotion of Casey Jo MacPherson to associate head coach on Friday.
MacPherson, who is entering her seventh season with the Tigers, spent the first six years as an assistant coach.
"Casey Jo has been a valuable member of our coaching staff for the past six seasons," Welker said. "She embodies the high standards we expect from all those involved with Mizzou Athletics, and has consistently exhibited a passion to help our young women succeed in life. We are excited for the future of our program and this is a great example of Mizzou's dedication to its student-athletes."
MacPherson has helped bring Mizzou gymnastics to national prominence since she joined the coaching staff before the 2014 season. The Tigers ended each of the last four years ranked in the top 20 nationally, including finishes of No. 17 in both 2017 and 2019, which are the highest placements for the program since 2010.
Mizzou's top two team beam totals, and six of the top 10 team tallies on the event, have come under MacPherson's tutelage. Under her guidance, former Tiger Britney Ward emerged as one of the nation's best beam workers and earned two NACGC/W Regular Season All-America honors on the event, and a number of Southeastern Conference weekly and postseason accolades.
Most recently, MacPherson helped Mizzou knock off four top 25 teams during the 2019 season, including a win over No. 10 Kentucky and a tie with No. 7 Michigan. At the 2019 NCAA Athens Regional, Missouri tallied both the highest regional score (196.625) and the top regional beam total (49.200) in program history.
In 2018, the Tigers went 9-7 in the regular season, including conference wins over No. 5 Florida and No. 10 Arkansas. The squad also concluded the year ranked 20th in the nation, the third-straight season Mizzou ended the year in the top 20. MacPherson led the Tigers to a 49.375 on beam at the Mardi Gras Invite on Feb. 16, the second-best team score on the event in program history.
MacPherson helped Mizzou go 3-4 in Southeastern Conference dual meet action in 2017, with wins over No. 12 Arkansas, No. 12 Kentucky and No. 18 Auburn. The Tigers broke or tied the team beam record twice during the season. First, the squad scored a 49.325 against Auburn on March 3 to tie Missouri's record. One week later against Kentucky, the team erupted for a 49.500 on the event to smash the previous mark.
MacPherson came to Mizzou after spending two years as the assistant coach at Western Michigan, where she helped guide the Broncos to the 2013 Mid-American Conference championship. With Western Michigan, MacPherson was responsible for beam and floor workouts, as well as choreography and routine construction. She also organized team travel during the competitive season and assisted with budget management.
While competing for the Arkansas Razorbacks, MacPherson won 71 individual event titles on her way to eight All-America honors. She led Arkansas to a fifth-place national finish in 2009, 10th-place national finish in 2008 and a No. 11 finish in 2010. Additionally, she was the 2010 NCAA all-around runner-up, won the SEC Championship beam title, was a two-time NCAA Regional Beam Champion and a NCAA Regional Floor Champion. As a junior in 2009, MacPherson broke the Razorback all-round record with a 39.675 and tied that mark three more times during her senior season.
She was a two-time All-SEC first team honoree and a four-time Academic All-SEC honoree, and Magee was twice named the team's most outstanding gymnast.
Following her competitive career at Arkansas, MacPherson joined the Razorback gymnastics staff as a student-assistant in 2011, helping the team to a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. She also went on to compete at the senior international elite level as she qualified for and competed in the 2011 and 2012 American Classic, the 2011 and 2012 Covergirl Classic and the 2011 Visa Championships.
The former Casey Jo Magee, she is married to Scott MacPherson.
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