Penn State men’s gymnastics, coach Randy Jepson part ways after 45 years. What to know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Penn State did not renew Randy Jepson’s contract after 45 years on staff, 35 years as HC.
- Jepson won 3 national titles, 3 national coach of the year awards & had nearly 450 wins.
- Tony Beck was named Penn State men’s gymnastics head coach effective immediately.
After a 45-year career with Penn State men’s gymnastics, including the last 35 years as head coach, Randy Jepson and the Nittany Lions are parting ways.
The athletic department announced Friday it was not renewing Jepson’s contract, which effectively amounted to a firing. There was no mention of Jepson retiring or voluntarily stepping down — but, based on the department’s news release, it didn’t seem as if there were too many hard feelings.
In the release, Jepson still thanked Penn State for his time and praised his replacement in Tony Beck, a former Nittany Lion gymnast who spent the last 10 seasons as an assistant under Jepson.
Beck was officially named the head coach of men’s gymnastics “effective immediately.”
“(Beck) will do an incredible job, and I have full faith in him to not only build on the tradition here in Happy Valley, but to take the program to new heights in the future,” Jepson said in a written statement.
“I reflect back on my time as a Nittany Lion with warm regard. I am so grateful to student-athletes for trusting me to lead them all these years, grateful to their families for trusting me with their sons, grateful to the staffs who have supported me along the way and most certainly grateful to Penn State for every single experience I’ve had here.”
Jepson was a three-time national coach of the year in 2000, 2004 and 2007. He guided the Nittany Lions to three national titles, most recently in 2007, while compiling nearly 450 victories, developing 139 All-Americans and producing eight Olympians. He also coached 14 individual champs, including the first gymnast in NCAA history to win four straight titles on the pommel horse (Mark Sohn).
The longtime coach also most recently developed viral pommel horse star Stephen Nedoroscik, who became a sensation thanks to his clutch Olympic performances and striking similarity to Clark Kent.
“Randy has built one of college gymnastics’ most iconic programs,” athletic director Pat Kraft said. “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.”
Jepson began his gymnastics career at the University of Oregon, until the Ducks dropped their program and he transferred to Penn State in 1982. In one season as a student-athlete here, he was named captain and earned All-America honors on rings.
He became a graduate assistant coach the next two seasons, before becoming a full-fledged assistant coach by 1985. He succeeded longtime head coach Karl Schier in 1991, when he was named interim coach before the “interim” tag was removed a season later.
In a written statement in the news release, Beck both thanked Jepson and expressed how much the appointment meant to him.
“It is an incredible honor to be named the head coach of the Penn State men’s gymnastics team,” Beck said. “This program shaped me as a student-athlete, coach and person, and I understand the standard, pride and expectations that come with representing Penn State Gymnastics. I’m forever grateful to Randy Jepson, my coach and mentor, for bringing me to Penn State and for giving me the opportunity to grow within this program as a coach and leader.”
Beck spent the last three seasons as an associate head coach, while carrying the title of assistant coach in the previous seven. He won Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2025.
His coaching prowess was on display just two years after he graduated from the university. He started a men’s gymnastics program at Centre Elite Gymnastics and was named the 2015 Pennsylvania Coach of the Year.
“I am thrilled to name Tony Beck our next head coach of Penn State Men’s Gymnastics,” Kraft wrote. “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.”
