Jason Bauer - Gymnastics Coach - Bowling Green State University Athletics

Jason Bauer

Title:
Assistant Gymnastics Coach
Email:
jfbauer@bgsu.edu

Jason Bauer begins his fifth season with the Bowling Green State University gymnastics program in 2019 and his third as Associate Head Coach. Bauer was promoted to the position on June 3, 2016 after serving as an assistant coach since Aug. 20, 2014. He currently serves as the team’s primary uneven bars coach and the Falcons’ recruiting coordinator.

The 2018 season was one of unprecedented individual success in the program. Jovannah East became the first Falcon to compete in the all-around competition at the NCAA National Championship and just the second BGSU gymnast to qualify in any event. The team placed third at the MAC Championships (the program’s third consecutive top-three finish) and East shared the MAC Championship on vault.

In 2017, the Falcons broke their MAC Championship record set just the year prior with a team score of 196.400. BGSU was the MAC runner-up, trailing Central Michigan by just .100 in the final team standings. It was the first time the team had finished that high at the MAC Championship since 1987.

During the 2016 season, Bauer helped lead the Falcons to a third-place finish at the MAC Championships and the team’s first NCAA Regional appearance in 25 years. His athletes combined to score 49.050 twice on the uneven bars, first against Central Michigan and again against Northern Illinois. The Falcons’ 196.500 overall score against NIU established a new school record. At the MAC meet, the team posted a 48.800 to help BGSU earn a team record for overall score at the event (195.625).

Senior Alyssa Nocella became just the fifth athlete in BGSU history to record a 9.900 on the uneven bars, and she reached that milestone twice in 2016 against Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan. Nocella and Caroline Ellingboe also reached 9.875 in the event to cement their places in BGSU’s all-time top ten scores in the event.

Bauer helped the Falcons score 195.000 or better five times during his debut season in 2015. The team scored a season-best 49.075 on the uneven bars in a regular season-ending victory over Kent State. BGSU also posted a 49.000 in the event in a win against Ball State. The Falcons just missed the 49-point barrier in East Lansing, Mich. against Michigan State (48.950), but the team defeated the Spartans in that meet. Athletes registered 9.800 or better individually 19 times in 2015, led by Caroline Ellingboe’s 9.875 at Central Michigan.

Prior to arriving at BGSU, Bauer coached level 9 and 10 gymnasts in the club ranks. In 2012, Bauer served as the girls coach for Head Over Heels Gymnastics. He was responsible for the daily training of the gymnasts, maintained the company website, oversaw all aspects of business operations, and served as the club’s director of marketing and promotions. Bauer qualified many of his athletes for regional and national competitions.

Bauer also brought Division I coaching experience to Bowling Green. From 1997-2000, he was an assistant coach at Rutgers University. Under his watch, the Scarlet Knights reached the NCAA Regionals for the first time in program history (2000). Rutgers went 16-5 during that season and posted the best score (49.400) on bars in school history against MAC foe Eastern Michigan. Also in 2000, Rutgers posted the second best score (49.200) in program history in the floor exercise, and the team’s 195.400 team score against Ursinus ranks second in RU history.

As a part of coach Chrystal Chollet-Norton’s staff, Bauer aided in recruiting and contributed to all aspects of coaching. During his time in Piscataway, Bauer composed practice schedules, conditioning programs and assisted in the meet scheduling process. Further, he fundraised for the team by hosting invitational and recreational gymnastics programs.

Bauer is a native of Edison, N.J. and has a strong connection to the international game. Serving as the head coach of Maccabi USA, Bauer coached Team USA to a team gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Maccabi Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He was also head coach for Team USA when they won a silver medal at the 2013 World Maccabiah Games in Israel. The multi-sport event, which is held every four years, brings together over 9,000 athletes and is considered one of the largest international sporting events in the world.

Bauer’s time in club gymnastics runs deeper than just his work with Maccabi USA and Head Over Heels Gymnastics. Bauer was the owner and head coach for the American Gymnastics Academy from 2003-2012. Based out of Edison, he ran the day-to-day operations of the full-service gymnastics school. Across his tenure, he saw many of his athletes earn collegiate scholarships.

In addition to his coaching experience, Bauer was the president of the Jersey Optional Gymnastics Association from 2005-2013. Over that stop, Bauer was in charge of maintaining the rules, policies and governance of the New Jersey gymnastics league. Under his leadership, membership grew from approximately 600 athletes to just under 1,000.

Bauer earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Thomas Edison State College in 2004.