Landrus Receives Contract Extension Through 2018
September 24, 2015 | Women's Gymnastics
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois DIA announced that Fighting Illini Director of Athletics Mike Thomas and Head Women's Gymnastics Coach Kim Landrus have agreed to a one-year contract extension, which keeps her at Illinois through the 2018 season.
"I'm happy to announce this contract extension for Kim Landrus," Thomas said. "Kim has done an excellent job in leading our women's gymnastics program to be one of the most competitive in the nation and Big Ten Conference. She has been a great influence on the student-athletes she coaches and leads, and a terrific ambassador for the University of Illinois."
Landrus completed her fifth season as head coach at Illinois and 13th season on the Illini coaching staff in 2015. Landrus has elevated the program to new heights, leading the Illini to their best ever finish in program history, 11th at the NCAA Championships, three times. Before Landrus took the helm, Illinois had made one appearance at the NCAA Championships in program history.
"I want to thank athletic director, Mike Thomas, and senior woman's administrator, Maria Woods, for their continued support of the women's gymnastics program," Landrus said. "I have called Champaign 'home' for the past 13 years and am extremely excited about continuing our success both academically and athletically in years to come."
It was a record-setting 2015 season for Illini gymnastics under Landrus, who was named the NCAA South Central Regional Head Coach of the Year. The Illini posted a school-record team score of 197.350 at the Big Ten Championships and also posted the third and tenth-best team scores in program history. Illinois' second-place finish at Big Ten's was the highest since 2009, where they also finished runner-up. Landrus led the Ilini to five regular season All-American selections in 2015, the most Illinois has ever produced in one season, and she coached Giana O'Connor to a sixth-place finish in the all-around at the NCAA Championships, becoming just the second Illini to earn NCAA First-Team All-American in the all-around.
Landrus has had much success during her 12-year tenure on the Illinois staff, playing a big role in Illinois' gradual rise to national prominence. She has helped lead the Illini to 12 straight NCAA Regional appearances from 2004-15, and has made Illinois a regular in the weekly top-25 polls, peaking at No. 11 after the 2011 and 2013 NCAA Championships and twice in 2014.
Landrus garnered the NCAA South Central Regional Assistant Coach of the Year honor in 2005, and helped qualify at least two University of Illinois individuals to the NCAA Championships in both 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2015, a feat that hadn't been accomplished at Illinois since 1987. In addition, Landrus has helped produced 12 NCAA All-American honors and seven NACGC/W Regular Season All-American honors.
Since Landrus' arrival, the Illini beam squads have completely rewritten the top-ten scores in school history. In addition, Melissa Fernandez became the first Illini to twice advance to the NCAA individual event finals and notched the best individual finish in school history, tying for fifth on beam in 2011. She has coached two Big Ten Balance Beam Champions in Kelsey Joannides (2012) and Julie Crall (2008). Additionally, Allison Buckley became a second-team All-American on beam in 2008 under Landrus' tutelage, marking the program's first All-American at the NCAA Championships.
The Illini also have achieved a great deal of success in the classroom in Landrus' five years as head coach, earning the seventh-best GPA amongst women's gymnastics teams in both 2014 and 2015. Under coach Landrus, the Illini have earned 34 Scholastic All-American honors.
