UNC head gymnastics coach Derek Galvin announced Wednesday that he will retire at the end of June, after spending 39 years in charge of the Tar Heel program.

Associate head coach Marie Case Denick will serve as the interim head coach until Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham is able to find a permanent replacement for Galvin.

A native of Ireland, Galvin attended UNC and competed on the men’s gymnastics team in the 1970’s before taking over as the program’s head coach in 1981. His Tar Heels tallied 441 victories overall, including five East Atlantic Gymnastics League titles and 12 NCAA Regional appearances over the last 19 seasons.

He was also inducted into the USA Gymnastics Region 8 Hall of Fame in 2017.

“I am so very grateful to the Carolina community, to the many Tar Heel coaches and staff who have supported and befriended our gymnastics program and me, the administrators who have guided me, and the student-athletes who shared their college experiences with me,” Galvin said. “It is hard to step away from day-to-day contact with these wonderful people, but I am confident that it is the correct time to do so.”

 

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Photo via UNC Athletics