Kurt Hettinger is in his first season with the Auburn gymnastics program as an assistant coach. Hettinger comes to Auburn after five years as an assistant coach with Kent State's women's gymnastics program. During his tenure from 2003-08 as an assistant at Kent State, Hettinger served as the head bars coach and assisted with vault and floor. He guided the Golden Flashes to three team records and four individual top-10 scores on bars and eight individual titles on his respective events at Mid-American Conference Championships. Hettinger played a role in Kent State's three NCAA Regional Championships appearances, two MAC Championship titles and three consecutive regular season titles in his five years on staff. The 2007 campaign saw Kent State break into the top-25 nationally on bars. Off the competitive floor, Hettinger served as Kent State's recruiting coordinator and summer camp manager. Hettinger returned to his alma mater for the 2002-03 season as an assistant coach for the University of Illinois men's gymnastics program recruiting and preparing daily workouts. The Fighting Illini finished the season with five All-Americans and placed fifth at the men's NCAA Championships. Prior to his stint at Kent State, Hettinger spent five years at the Champaign, Ill., County YMCA, assisting with the development of Levels 8-10 girls for two years. He also spearheaded the development of the junior boys program, shaping Class VI through Elite level gymnasts and was a two-time member of the USAG Region V Junior Elite Boys Team coaching staff. Hettinger worked as an optional team coach for Flytz Gymnastics in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, for two years. Hettinger was a four-year letterwinner on the University of Illinois men's gymnastics team from 1996-99. He was a part of the 1998 squad that placed third at the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships. Hettinger, a native of Tuscola, Ill., graduated from Illinois in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in history and earned a master's degree in education from Kent State in 2005. He married his wife Katherine in July 2006. |
  
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