jordyn wieber is stepping down as Arkansas gymnastics coach after seven seasons, and assistant coach Chris Brooks has been promoted to head coach effective immediately. The athletics department announced the change Tuesday, and Wieber and Brooks are scheduled to speak at a press conference Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Wieber’s seven seasons
Wieber said she is leaving athletics to focus on her family and other passions. She said she will forever be cheering on the Razorbacks. Her departure comes after Arkansas finished seventh among eight teams at the NCAA Championships on April 18 in Fort Worth, Texas, with a score of 196.9625.
Arkansas reached the NCAA Championships for the second time in three seasons under Wieber. During her tenure, the Razorbacks collected 30 All-America honors and 40 All-SEC nods, and all of the program’s top 10 team scores happened during her seven seasons.
Brooks and Arkansas bars
Brooks has been on Wieber’s staff since 2019 and served as the team’s primary uneven bars coach while also assisting with vault. Under his work on bars, Arkansas produced eight of its best 13 bars scores in program history, and the team ranked in the top 20 on uneven bars each season during his tenure.
Three Gymbacks qualified to nationals on bars with Brooks coaching: Maggie O'Hara, Sarah Shaffer and Maddie Jones. He also helped guide Lauren Williams to All-SEC recognition in 2023 on vault.
Bud Walton Arena record crowds
Arkansas also posted strong attendance and academic marks while Wieber led the program. The Gymbacks ranked in the top 10 nationally in average attendance each season, sold out Bud Walton Arena twice, and moved there full time beginning in the 2025 season.
The program set a single-season attendance record of 39,574 in 2025 and an average attendance record of 7,915. Arkansas also drew 15,512 fans to Bud Walton Arena on March 6, 2026, setting a program and SEC gymnastics attendance record. Academically, the team placed double-digit athletes on the SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll each year since Wieber arrived and posted at least a 3.35 GPA annually, including a program-record 3.72 GPA in 2025.
Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletic Hunter Yurachek said, “What she and her staff have accomplished over the last seven years has simply been phenomenal.” He added, “Coach Brooks’ passion, energy and coaching knowledge made him an easy choice.” The Tuesday press conference is the next scheduled public step in the transition.
