CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois women's gymnastic head coach Nadalie Walsh has announced assistant coach Stephen Buckner, who has been with the program for three years, is going to leave gymnastics to become a pastor. 

"I'm very excited for Stephen and his family to be taking this next step," Walsh said. "It'll be sad to see him go, but I'm really proud of him for taking a leap of faith and deciding to go back to his roots and step into a pastoral role and help more people than he could in women's gymnastics." 

"My family and I have thoroughly enjoyed coaching college gymnastics," Buckner said. "It has been a 12 year journey that has taken us all over the country. We have been very blessed to be a part of so many wonderful young women's lives. That is what we will miss the most about my career. My time spent coaching the Fighting Illini Athletes will always be very special to me. They are an amazing group of young ladies that truly have a fighting spirit. This was a very difficult decision for us as a family, but we were given an opportunity that we could not pass up. I want to thank the team and Nadalie Walsh for letting me be a part of the Illini family, and I wish them the best in the upcoming season!"