Updated May 7, 2026
New Nebraska head coach Nicole Jones announced April 29 the addition of former Michigan State assistant coach Devin Wright to her coaching staff as an associate head coach. Both Jones and Wright coached at Michigan State under head coach Mike Rowe for the past four seasons and were voted 2026 WCGA Central Region Assistant Coaches of the Year, earning the honor for the third time in four seasons.
During Wright’s tenure with the Spartans, she helped lead them to their first NCAA championship appearance since 1988. The Spartans also won two consecutive Big Ten regular season titles, and ultimately took home the first Big Ten Championship title in 2024. In 2023, she helped coach Delanie Harkness and Sage Kellerman to Big Ten titles on bars and vault, respectively, and led Harkness and Gabrielle Stephen to the NCAA national championships as individual qualifiers on floor and beam, followed by Nikki Smith’s, Sage Kellerman’s, and Gabi Ortiz’s qualification in 2026.
On May 7, Jones added to her staff once again, naming Jordan Gamboa (née Bowers) as an assistant coach. A Lincoln native and former standout at Oklahoma, Gamboa returns home following a decorated collegiate career that included the 2025 NCAA all-around title and 28 All-America honors. She helped lead the Sooners to three NCAA team championships and earned the 2025 Honda Sport Award for gymnastics.
“Jordan is a go-getter who elevates everyone around her,” Jones said. “Her athletic accolades speak for themselves, but what truly sets her apart is the standard she’s lived and the mindset she brings every single day. She understands what it takes to win, and more importantly, how to sustain it.” I believe she will be an incredible bridge for our student-athletes—someone they can relate to, learn from, and grow alongside—while also serving as a powerful connection point for recruits who want to come to Lincoln and be part of what we are building. It’s incredibly special to bring her back home.”
Gamboa, who recently completed her degree and served as a student coach at Oklahoma this past season, also brings prior coaching experience in Lincoln. Her addition gives Jones’ first Husker staff a high-profile, recently retired elite athlete with deep ties to both the local community and the collegiate gymnastics landscape.
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Article by Jessica Brock and Elizabeth Grimsley
