Jeff Thompson Hometown: Highland Heights, KY Position: Head Coach Education:: University of Kentucky (1986)

Head coach Jeff Thompson enters his ninth season as the head coach of the Auburn gymnastics program. Under the tutelage of Thompson, the Tigers have appeared in five consecutive NCAA Regionals, and one NCAA Championship. Thompson has also coached seven individuals to the NCAAs and five regional champions.

Thompson led AU to the NCAA Regional for its fifth straight year in 2007. It is the most consecutive appearances at the Regional since the Tigers reeled off eight in-a-row from 1987-94 under Robert Dillard. At regionals, Thompson coached Julie Dwyer to a first-place finish on vault with a 9.950 score, as well as third-place in the all-around. Thompson also saw junior Lindsey Puckett finish third on beam with a 9.800.

With five consecutive regional appearances under his belt, Thompson has the Tigers on the brink of qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the second time under his direction, and just the fourth time in school history.

Last year, Thompson guided Auburn to a 6-13 record, which included an ascent to 13th in national ranking and wins over No. 18 Missouri and No. 25 Kentucky, among others.

Stand out pupil Dwyer had another exceptional year under the his guidance as she took first place in the all-around in four meets and became the first SEC gymnast to win a major award in three straight years, capturing Scholar Athlete of the Year honors after having already won Freshman of the Year (`05) and Gymnast of the Year (`06).

In 2006, Thompson took the Tigers to their fourth NCAA Central Regional were they placed fourth overall. The squad was consistently ranked in the top 15 in each event. Dwyer was named SEC Gymnast of the Year and was voted for her second All-America nod.

In 2005, Thompson took Auburn to their third-straight regional and just missed qualifying for the championships. The Tigers still had four individuals compete at the NCAA Championships. Highlighting the NCAAs was freshman Dwyer, who earned All-America honors on the vault. Dwyer joined Courtney Puckett (2003) as the second All-American under Thompson.

Prior to Thompson's arrival as Auburn's fourth all-time coach in 2000, the Tigers had finished a dismal 3-14 and last in the Southeastern Conference. In just three seasons, Thompson was selected as SEC Coach of the Year in 2003, after taking the Tigers to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1993. That same season, Thompson was tabbed as the Co-Central Region Coach of the Year after the Tigers placed second at regionals.

Under the tutelage of Thompson, Auburn has set all-time team highs in the vault (49.40 in `07), uneven bars (49.50 in `00), balance beam (49.60 in `04), floor (49.60 in `04) and total score (197.00 in `04). In the 32 seasons of Auburn gymnastics, all 10 of the highest scores in school history have come in the Thompson era.

Individually, Thompson's gymnasts have forever engraved their names into the Auburn record book. In all five individual events, at least four of the top five all-time scores have come under Thompson. Thompson has also coached three gymnasts to a perfect 10 on beam and bars.

Thompson's work might begin in the gym, but it ends outside of competition. Thompson places a heavy emphasis in the classroom, which is why he produces true student-athletes. Thompson has had 23 Academic All-Americans, 31 gymnasts named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll, two SEC Scholar-Athletes of the Year and two NCAA Woman of the Year nominees. He has also coached two Leah Rawls Atkins Award winners, the highest honor for an Auburn female athlete, and two H. Boyd McWhorter Scholarship Nominees.

Thompson's coaching career began at his alma mater in 1986 as a graduate assistant at Kentucky, a position he held through the 1989 season. He later coached in Big 10 country at Wisconsin and Illinois, then became Junior Olympic Program Director at the Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy in 1993. Thompson became an assistant at LSU in 1994 before coming to Auburn in 1999.

A native of Highland Heights, Ky., Thompson played rugby at Kentucky before graduating with a bachelor's degree in physical education. Thompson also earned his master's degree in biomechanics in 1995 from UK.

Thompson is married to the former Rachelle Fruge of Baton Rouge, La. The couple resides in Auburn with their two children, Parker, 12, and Griffin, 10.