San Jose, Calif.—James Williams and Jeffrey Langenstein have been named assistant coaches for the San José State women's gymnastics team, as announced by head coach Joanne Bowers.
Williams comes to San José State after spending the past year as an assistant coach at Yale University where he was the primary vault, bars and floor coach. He was named the 2018 ECAC Assistant Coach of the Year. The 2018 team had the highest team score, bars score and vault score in school history as well as its highest RQS in program history. Two Bulldogs qualified for the NCAA Regional for the first time, and the team broke more than 40 school records.
A club coach with over 12 years experience at JO and Level 10 or higher, he was the women's team coach at AIM Texans Athletics in The Woodlands, Texas prior to going to Yale. Williams coached the women's team coach at the KPAC Kristie Phillips Athletic Center in Statseville, N.C., and at the Stars Gymnastics Training Center in Houston, Texas.
Williams is a 2010 University of Houston graduate with a bachelor's degree in business.
"James has coached high-level club teams and has a year under his belt in the NCAA world at Yale. He is a very good technician and can coach all events, plus being a great spotter. We have similar philosophies and have wanted to work together for a long time. This is a great fit for our program, and I am thrilled to have James helping us move up in the rankings," said Bowers.
Langensten spent the past two seasons as an assistant for the Lindenwood University women's gymnastics team. He main responsibilities were on vault and floor, helping the team to the highest RQS Score in school history on vault and the second-highest on floor in 2017. He was also the recruiting coordinator and was named the 2018 MIC Assistant Coach of the Year.
Prior to Lindenwood, Langenstein was a volunteer assistant coach for two seasons at California where we worked on selecting music and the choreography for floor routine in addition to other coaching and administrative duties. He was part of the 2016 team that advanced to the NCAA Championships and finished seventh. That team finished the year 11th on the floor nationally. The 2015 team finished 18th in the country, while the floor team earned a 12th-place national ranking.
While at Cal, Langenstein coaches many top gymnasts including Toni-Ann Williams, a 2016 Olympian for Jamaica. She was a six-time regular-season All-American, NCAA Vault Champion (2015), Pac-12 Freshman of the Year (2015), and Pac-12 Floor Champion (2016)
Langenstein transitioned to coaching after he competed for the Golden Bears from 2010-14. He specialized on the floor, still rings, vault and parallel bars. The team made four NCAA Championship appearances, finishing fourth in 2011 and 2012. He qualified as an individual for the NCAA semifinals multiple times on floor and vault.
Langenstein graduated from Cal with a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies.
"Jeffrey was a Cal gymnast, is from San Mateo, and both parents are San José State alums. He has coached and/or choreographed routines for many California clubs and will really help us with his contacts in this state. He was a volunteer coach at Cal when they qualified to NCAA Nationals for the first time in 24 years, and he helped take Lindenwood to new heights the past couple of years. Jeffrey is a very passionate coach and brings good energy to everything he does. In a short time, he has established himself as a very good coach in both Division I and II levels and will definitely help us here at San José State," stated Bowers.
"All three of us are at different stages in our lives and coaching careers. I went after people who will help in areas I really need, blend our coaching styles, and make sure the student athletes are getting the best from each of us. We all bring different aspects to the table, which will make us a strong staff," said Bowers on the new hires.
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