Women's Gymnastics
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- curlerni@ath.msu.edu
- Phone:
- 432-8725
Phone:Â 517-432-8725
Email:Â Email Coach Curler Jones
Nicole Curler Jones, a former Spartan standout, is entering her ninth season as associate head coach in 2025026, and her 16th season overall on the MSU gymnastics staff, serving as assistant coach from 2012-17 and as MSU’s volunteer assistant in 2011.
In 2022, she coached freshman Skyla Schulte to an appearance in the NCAA Championships as an individual beam competitor. Schulte tied for seventh place overall and earned NCAA Second Team All-America honors, the third Spartan gymnast all-time to be named All-American and the first in program history on beam. In 2023, Delanie Harkness (bars) and Sage Kellerman (vault) won Big Ten titles, while Harkness (floor) and Gabrielle Stephen (beam) qualified as individuals for the NCAA Championships. MSU won back-to-back Big Ten regular season titles in 2023 and 2024 and captured the program's first Big Ten Championship title in 2024.Â
During Jones’ time on the Spartan staff, MSU gymnasts have also earned 69 WCGA Scholastic All-America awards, 54 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors and 114 Academic All-Big Ten nods.
In 2025, MSU advanced to the NCAA Championships as a team for just the second time in program history and first since 1988. Six Spartans were named All-Big Ten and seven Spartans combined for a total of 11 All-America honors. Olivia Zsarmani (vault) and Gabrielle Stephen (beam) won individual Big Ten titles, while Jones helped Stephen to the program's first perfect 10.000 on balance beam at the conference championships as the primary beam coach. MSU also totaled its fifth-best beam score in program history with a 49.500 at the Big Ten Championships.
In 2024, the Spartans posted an overall record of 29-7 for the most wins in program history. Skyla Schulte (all-around, floor) and Baleigh Garcia (beam) won Big Ten titles and Schulte and Nikki Smith advanced to the NCAA Championships. Seven Spartans earned All-Big Ten honors.
The Spartans put together another record-breaking year in 2023, breaking the overall team record score twice and eclipsing the 198.000 mark for the first time in program history. MSU also set the program vault (49.575), bars (49.725) and beam (49.600) records, while Jori Jackard (bars) and Nikki Smith (vault) scored the third and fourth perfect 10.000s in program history.
Jones also guided Delanie Harkness, Skyla Schulte, Nikki Smith, Gabrielle Stephen (First Team) and Baleigh Garcia (Second Team) to All-Big Ten honors. She was named WCGA Region 4 Assistant Coach of the Year for the second-straight year.
Jones was an integral part of Spartan success in 2022. Primarily working with the beam competitors, she helped MSU to new program highs on vault, bars (49.500), beam (49.500) and floor (49.675). The Spartans broke the 197.000 mark five times over the course of the season, re-setting the overall team score three times over, culminating in an all-time best 197.650 at the NCAA West Regional Finals on April 2.Â
A record six gymnasts were named All-Big Ten, with Schulte and Gabrielle Stephen being named to the First Team while Ashley Hofelich, Delanie Harkness, Baleigh Garcia and Giana Kalefe were all named Second Team. Garcia and Kalefe primarily competed on beam for the Spartans under Jones's guidance, combining for 14 scores of 9.9 or better on the apparatus and career-bests of 9.950 and 9.925.Â
At the conclusion of the 2022, season, Jones and MSU's staff were named WCGA Region 4 Assistant Coaches of the Year, WCGA National Assistant Coaches of the Year, and CollegeGymNews Coaching Staff of the Year.Â
The 2021 season was canceled after just two meets due to health and safety concerns stemming from COVID-19 within the program. Michigan State won its season-opening tri-meet against Nebraska and Ohio State, with Baleigh Garcia winning all-around and garnering Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors in the process. The Spartans competed in another tri-meet, this time with OSU and Illinois and placing third, before shutting down for the remainder of the season.Â
The 2020 season was shortened due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, canceling one regular-season meet, plus the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Regionals and Championships. Despite the shortened season, MSU gymnasts earned two All-Big Ten accolades as Lea Mitchell earned First Team All-Big Ten honors, while senior Gabriella Douglas collected Second Team All-Big Ten recognition. In the classroom, the Spartans tied a program record with 12 Scholastic All-America Award winners, as well as collecting seven Big Ten Distinguished Scholar accolades and 10 Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Jones brings not only a wealth of experience in her sport, but her background as a student-athlete competing for the Green and White also makes her a valuable asset to the athletes as well.
Jones helps coordinate the origination of all team practices, team schedules and competition line-up selections for the Spartans. The Bay City, Mich., native also assists with choreography of all the team’s balance beam and floor exercise routines. She also maintains the program’s social media channels.
Prior to joining the Spartans following graduation and while still attending MSU, Jones was a coach at Gedderts’ Twistars Gymnastics Club in Dimondale, Mich. While with Gedderts, Jones assisted with compulsory level gymnastics instruction on the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and the floor exercise. Jones also assisted with the choreography for several local high school gymnastics programs throughout the Greater Lansing Area.
The Spartans’ 2010 team MVP was a two-time Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honoree during her career, and was a member of the gymnastic team’s leadership committee. She qualified for the 2010 NCAA Championships after finishing fourth in the all-around at the NCAA Kentucky Regional with a score of 39.175.
The four-time All-Big Ten honoree is ranked second all-time in program history with a 39.525 all-around score against LSU on Feb. 29, 2008. Jones is also fifth on the vault with a 9.925 against Oklahoma on Feb. 26. Other program ranks included ninth on the balance beam (9.925 on four occasions) and fifth on the floor exercise with a 9.950 at Florida on March 16, 2007.
Over the course of her four-year career, Jones posted six first-place finishes in the all-around and on the floor, 20 top-three all-around finishes and 11 top-three finishes on the floor. On the bars, Jones tallied 12 top-three scores, while finishing first 11 times on the beam and in the top-three 23 times. On the vault, Jones placed in the top-three on 10 separate occasions.
A 2010 graduate of Michigan State, Jones earned her bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies in social sciences - human resources.
Jones and her husband, Dennis Jones, were married in August 2018, and the couple has two daughters, Avery and Elyse, and a son, Nolan.
