Michael Chaplin knew from the moment Tanya Service began coaching that she would make a great college coach. But it wasn’t the athletic accolades of the two-time Pac-10 Gymnast of the Year, 1983 World Championship all-around finalist, and 1984 Olympic trials competitor that caught Chaplin’s attention. It was the way that the then-fifth-year UCLA student and rookie coach was working with her athletes.
“When I got into coaching, I just fell in love,” said Tanya Chaplin, née Service, who’s been at the helm of Oregon State for the last 26 seasons. “College gymnastics brought my love for the sport to the forefront of my mind, and I wanted to provide an atmosphere and environment where athletes could continue to find that love. That’s what my experience in college gymnastics gave to me.”
Tanya’s gymnastics career started when she was seven years old in her hometown of St. Charles, Missouri, but by 13, she headed to the west coast in pursuit of her elite gymnastics aspirations. The sport became her identity as stops at The Academy in Eugene, Oregon, and SCATS in Huntington Beach, California, coincided with her years on the U.S. national team. That got her to UCLA—where she helped lead the Bruins to the first-ever Pac-10 title in 1987 with her all-around, bars, and beam wins. But, Tanya’s time in Westwood wasn’t defined by her results but by the love for the sport reignited in her by the team atmosphere that only college gymnastics can provide.
“Going through the elite program has its challenges. So when I fell in love with team gymnastics, that really uncovered the love I had for the sport when I was young again,” said Tanya, who added that her renewed love for the sport motivated her to continue her elite career while competing collegiately. “I think sometimes the grind can take [the love] away a little bit, but it’s always there.”
Similar in many ways, Oregon State associate head coach Michael Chaplin mirrored Tanya’s love for the team aspect of gymnastics while succeeding as a UCLA gymnast—helping the Bruins win the 1987 NCAA championships. He competed as an elite simultaneously after initially being drawn to the sport by his sister—Kelly Chaplin, who competed for Arizona—and the dedication it takes to master the basics. It was at UCLA where the Chaplins met, and by 1992 the pair were married and committed to pursuing a career in coaching.
“The collegiate atmosphere and team aspect is something [that’s] unique. I loved it. It was fulfilling,” said Michael. “Much like Tanya, I think we both had a passion for collegiate team competition and were drawn far more to that than maybe trying to go into club and go into the elite route.”
After Michael encouraged Tanya to go big and apply for the head coaching position at Washington that opened up as she graduated from UCLA, the Huskies ended up bringing the fresh but focused coach on as an assistant. She stayed for seven seasons while Michael maneuvered from the club world to Seattle Pacific University before the pair finally landed the Oregon State gig, officially beginning their tenure on July 1, 1997.
A 26-year regime doesn’t happen by mistake, as the wife-husband tandem has navigated the Pac-10, Pac-12, and NCAA landscapes quite successfully with their people-first approach Tanya structured around “helping them, as people, grow, learn, and do some incredible gymnastics along the way.” The Chaplins have delivered on the gymnastics end, with three conference titles and 13 nationals appearances during their run with the Beavers. Still, to them, it’s more about how their athletes use this experience later.
“I think you always have sports in your life, just in different aspects,” Tanya explained. “You have things you learn throughout your career, and you can use those resources and those tools in the rest of your life. It’s coming to a better understanding of how sport is what you do; it’s not who you are.”
Michael echoed her comments, adding, “One of the things that’s important to us is that we want people to finish their career and still love the sport of gymnastics. That’s one of our goals and what the collegiate level is all about.”
There are certainly advantages and disadvantages to having a spouse on staff, but the Chaplins believe the pros outweigh the cons and have the results to prove it. Involving the entire staff can get challenging when the two can keep the work talk going far too late into the evening after they leave the gym, but the two lean on their daughter, Alana, to find balance and stay grounded. That allows them to take advantage of their coaching tandem—what Michael lovingly refers to as the family business.
“When you’re coaching with your best friend, you’ll tell them the good, bad, and the ugly,” said Tanya. “They’re real. You can look at things, and they give you a healthy perspective.”
It’s not odd that the duo touts a matching coaching philosophy. The Chaplins’ mentors and motivators—like former Bruin head coaches Jerry Tomlinson, Valorie Kondos-Field, the late Art Shurlock, and Michael’s club coach Ed Burch—all instilled a “person first, athlete second” mentality in them that they now emulate themselves.
But, despite all the Bruin ties, Oregon State continues to be home to the Chaplins, who felt the love from the Corvallis community immediately upon arrival. Juxtaposing it with the nonexistent fanfare after he and his UCLA teammates won a national championship, Michael praised the support the team gets from the thousands who show up to cheer on the Beavers all winter. At the same time, Tanya relishes being a part of a program with a prosperous past.
“It was actually the first women’s sport to compete in Gill Coliseum,” Tanya elaborated. “To have such rich history at a university where gymnastics thrives is very special, and you don’t take that for granted. We want to take this program as far as we possibly can.”
And far this program could go, with no signs of slowing down as the Chaplins close in on year 30 at Oregon State as it, yet again, challenges for conference titles and a 14th NCAA championships appearance during their reign. After nabbing a share of their first regular season Pac-12 title last year and Olympic and World gold medalist Jade Carey around for a few more seasons, the Chaplin era may see a few more banners hung before it ends.
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Article by Brandis Heffner
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