Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State Athletics Announces Mike Rowe Contract Extension
4/10/2026 1:00:00 PM | Women's Gymnastics
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State athletics announced a three-year contract extension for head gymnastics coach Mike Rowe Friday. With the extension, Rowe's contract now runs through 2029.Â
"Under Mike Rowe's leadership, Michigan State has grown into one of the best women's gymnastics programs in both the Big Ten Conference and nationally," said Michigan State Vice President and Director of Athletics J Batt. "The level of consistency over the last five seasons, including five NCAA Regional Finals appearances, two Big Ten regular-season titles and a Big Ten Championships crown, is remarkable. We are proud to continue to support Mike and the program as they strive for excellence."Â
"I would like to sincerely thank MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz and Director of Athletics J Batt for the opportunity, honor and privilege of extending my tenure with Michigan State gymnastics," said Rowe. "I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support from our administration, athletic department staff and all of Spartan Nation.Â
"Together, we will continue to raise the standard, strengthen our culture and pursue greater prominence and success on the national stage. I am incredibly proud to be at my alma mater, coaching the sport I love while empowering our student-athletes to become the very best versions of themselves, both in competition and in life."Â
Rowe, who is completing his ninth season as head coach in 2026, holds a 159-101-1 record with the Spartans, including a 24-8 record this season and back-to-back program-record 29-win seasons in 2024 and 2025. Since 2022, MSU has finished each season ranked inside the top 15 and posted a program-best No. 6 final ranking in 2025. Â
This season, the Spartans advanced to their fifth-straight NCAA Regional Final and earned a top-two finish at the Big Ten Championships for the fifth-consecutive year. Individually, senior Sage Kellerman won the Big Ten bars title to mark the 11th individual conference title won under Rowe, while senior Nikki Smith (vault, floor) and junior Gabi Ortiz (floor) won individual NCAA regional titles. Four Spartans earned All-Big Ten honors to total 35 combined all-conference nods across Rowe's nine seasons. Additionally, six Spartans have combined for 19 Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) All-America honors. Â
MSU earned back-to-back Big Ten regular season titles in 2023 and 2024, including the outright title in 2024 after posting a perfect 9-0 record in conference action. Rowe also led the Spartans to their first Big Ten Championships crown in 2024 in front of a sold-out crowd inside Jenison Field House. Last season, MSU finished second at the NCAA University Park Regional Final to advance to just its second NCAA Championships in program history and first since 1988. The Spartans will be represented for the fifth-straight year at next week's NCAA Championships with Kellerman, Smith and Ortiz qualifying as individuals. Â
Rowe is a three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (2022-24), two-time WCGA Central Region Coach of the Year and was named the WCGA National Coach of the Year in 2022. Â
Under Rowe, 56 MSU gymnasts have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and 40 gymnasts have been named WCGA Scholastic All-Americans. MSU has also earned at least one College Sports Communicators Academic All-District nod in each of the last five seasons, while Lea Mitchell was named a CSC Third Team Academic All-American in 2022.Â
Players Mentioned
