Jaclyn Bertrand Joins Illinois Women's Gymnastics Coaching Staff
September 15, 2026 | Women's Gymnastics
NEWS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois women's gymnastics head coach Josh Nilson announced on Tuesday the addition of Jaclyn Bertrand to his coaching staff for the 2026-27 season.
Bertrand will serve as an assistant coach for the Fighting Illini after spending the 2025-26 season as an assistant at Gustavus Adolphus College.
"We are thrilled to welcome Jaclyn to the Fighting Illini gymnastics famILLy," Nilson said. "Jaclyn brings tremendous energy and a passion for developing student-athletes, and I'm confident she will make an immediate impact on our program. She is a great fit for our culture, and we are excited to have her on staff."
"I'm incredibly excited to join the Illinois gymnastics coaching staff and be part of a program with such a strong vision for this team and the future," Bertrand said. "From my first conversations with Josh and the coaching staff, their passion for gymnastics and commitment to building something special were clear. I'm grateful for the opportunity to grow as a coach while making a meaningful impact on this team, and I'm excited for what we can accomplish together."
As an assistant gymnastics coach at Gustavus Adolphus, Bertrand planned and supervised practices on all four events, with a primary focus on balance beam, while also developing beam and floor choreography. She also conducted student-athlete meetings and supported recruiting efforts of prospective student-athletes through live meet and video evaluations, email correspondence, phone calls and campus visits.
Other duties included assisting with competition lineup decisions; helping with meet day operations, including travel logistics, facility setup and event management; and fostering a positive and accountable team culture through effective communication and mentorship.
She was a gymnastics coach at Air Force Gymnastics Academy in Green Bay, Wisconsin, from 2014-25 while in high school, college, and post-graduation. In that role, she organized and led daily practice focused on skill progression, technique, and athlete safety for beginner through Level 10 competitive athletes. She developed floor choreography and coordinated meet day operations, including scheduling, travel logistics for coaches, event set up, and event management.
From 2023-25, she served as a manager for the club, assisting with daily operations pertaining to coaching and supervising recreational coaching staff, evaluating employee performance and providing training and mentorship, coordinating schedules, and managing social media content and promotion.
She was also a recreational coach at Stout Elite Gymnastics Academy from 2018-20, coaching recreational classes and assisting other coaches with drills and spotting for their classes and team members.
A native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, Bertrand competed collegiately at the University of Wisconsin - Stout from 2018-21, earning a bachelor's degree in interior design in 2022.
