NORMAL, Ill. – Following a 20-year stint at Illinois State gymnastics head coach and with over 40 years in coaching under his belt, longtime Redbird gymnastics head coach Bob Conkling has announced his retirement from ISU.
Conkling completed his 20th season as the ISU head coach in 2025, as he earned Midwest Independent Conference (MIC) Coach of the Year honors for the second time in his career in 2025 – he previously earned the award in 2022 – and led the Redbirds to their second conference title in the last three seasons. The MIC championship was the fourth for the Redbirds overall in program history, and the third under the leadership of Conkling (2012, 2023, 2025).