University of North Carolina Athletics
Derek Galvin Retires After 39 Years as Head Coach of Carolina Gymnastics
June 3, 2020 | Women's Gymnastics
CHAPEL HILL – Derek Galvin, head coach of the University of North Carolina gymnastics team for the past 39 years, is retiring at the end of June. Associate head coach Marie Case Denick will serve as the program's interim head coach until Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham names a permanent head coach.
Galvin, a native of Ireland who attended UNC and competed on the men's gymnastics team in the early 1970s, became the head coach in 1981. His Tar Heel teams posted 441 victories, won five East Atlantic Gymnastics League titles and advanced to NCAA regional competition 12 times in the last 19 seasons.
"Derek's positive attitude, willingness to offer a hand or advice and dedication to his gymnasts have inspired all of us," says Tar Heel Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. "His teams have been a leading voice for diversity, inclusion and mental health, setting an example for our entire department. His teams competed with distinction and excelled in the classroom and our community. No one works harder at a meet than Derek, which demonstrated his desire to give his gymnasts a complete effort every time they took the floor. We wish Derek and his family the best as he embarks on the next step in what will be an enthusiastic next act."
This past season (which was cut short prior to the conference meet scheduled for Chapel Hill due to Covid-19), Carolina placed 15 gymnasts on the EAGL All-Academic team, Khazia Hislop earned second-team All-America honors on vault and was the EAGL Specialist of the Year and Elizabeth Culton was the EAGL Rookie of the Year. It was Hislop's third All-America honor.
"Serving as a coach and teacher at Carolina over the past 39 years has been an incredible privilege, and a wonderful joy," says Galvin. "The Carolina Athletics Department and this campus community have provided my family and me with so many fantastic experiences and a lifetime of inspiration.
"I became a Tar Heel in 1970 when I was invited to join the Carolina men's gymnastics team. My former teammates, classmates, and faculty and staff helped shape my experiences as a student-athlete. Since returning to Carolina as a coach in 1981 it has been my colleagues in the athletic department, student-athletes I have worked with, Rams club members and Carolina fans, friends in the community, and certainly my wife, Debra, and our children and grandchildren who have added even more texture and color to my experiences. Now, 50 years later this amazing adventure as a student-athlete, coach, and teacher is about to transition once again, and it seems to have gone by much too quickly.
"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. 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.
"Marie Denick will do a great job directing the program. Her competence and leadership qualities have served the team well over the past three years and she has played a key role in developing our culture and focus.
"I will be forever grateful for all the many ways the Carolina community has blessed my family and me."
Courtney Bumpers won NCAA individual championships in the floor exercise while competing for Galvin in 2004 and 2005, earning a perfect 10 in defending her title. Galvin coached seven gymnasts who won EAGL All-Around titles and his gymnasts won 22 EAGL event championships.
Academically, the Tar Heels excelled at the highest level, earning numerous Phi Beta Kappa honors, nearly 160 National Association of College Gymnastics Coaches' Scholastic All-America honors and two Academic All-America awards. In 2003, Natalie Halbach became the first female student-athlete in the Atlantic Coast Conference to receive a Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship, the NCAA's most prestigious academic award.
Carolina Gymnastics has earned a Public Recognition Award for having an Academic Progress Rate in the top 10 percent in the country in 10 of the last 11 seasons.
Galvin was inducted in the USA Gymnastics Region 8 Hall of Fame in 2017.
The Dublin native moved to Arlington, Va., when he was 10 years old. He competed on two state championship teams under coach Jesse Meeks at Yorktown High School and graduated from Carolina with a psychology degree in 1976. Galvin and his wife, Debra, have two children and five grandchildren.
Martina Ballen, UNC Athletics Chief Financial Officer, Gymnastics Team Administrator:
"Derek shows care and thoughtfulness with his athletes, his staff, administrators and supporters. He is always first with 'well done' or 'it will get better.' Although it is part of my responsibility, he always thanked me for being at a meet or practice. Over the years I've come to realize that his love and belief in the program and the University are as consistent as the breathtakingly beautiful Carolina falls, year after year. Derek is a shining Tar Heel gem."
Marie Case Denick, Associate Head Coach UNC Gymnastics:
"I am so grateful for the opportunity to know Derek and learn from him over the last three years at UNC. He cares deeply about the Carolina community and it shows in the way he treats every person with positivity, enthusiasm and respect. He welcomed my family and me to Carolina with open arms and kindness. There is never a doubt he genuinely cares about each person that has crossed paths with him. His outlook and pride in Carolina is something I with continue to carry on with me every day. I am thankful for the support and the belief he has given me to be confident and excited in this new position to lead Carolina Gymnastics. Thank you Derek, for dedicating so much of your life to Carolina and our student-athletes and being an incredible teacher of the Carolina Way."
Anson Dorrance, UNC Women's Soccer Head Coach:
"My heart fell when I heard Derek is retiring, because in terms of personal character he has been the North Star of our athletic department forever. I was honestly shaken because good people are so hard to find, and he is one of the best. I have such huge respect for everything Derek is and what he stands for. I'll genuinely miss having him being a daily part of my athletic family. I'm excited for Derek for what he has to come in retirement and look forward to him remaining in the Carolina community so I can run into him in the future. He is truly a wonderful man."
Dana Duckworth, Alabama Gymnastics Head Coach:
"I am absolutely honored to share my appreciation for Derek Galvin because he's one of the finest human beings I've ever met. His integrity, respect for others and class are noticeable in everything he does. When he told me about his retirement, I joked with him that he was the man-of-all-trades. Back in the day he only had one assistant coach. He was the guy that fixed the bars, built the podium and did so many other things like set-up and tear down the arena floor. He has built a successful staff, but I have to go back to his character.
"It's really easy to brag about Derek because he is a man of character, competence and true passion. It is evident he loves the Tar Heels, his family and the gymnastics program. I've known him for a very long time and to call him a mentor, a friend and a confidant is a blessing. I remember my first visit to North Carolina and witnessed his loyalty, kindness and generosity with his time and commitment for his student-athletes.
"His retiring is a huge loss for the collegiate gymnastics community, but at the same time, I think he's been a Tar Heel for 50 years between his time as an athlete and his time as a coach. He's left a legacy for the Tar Heel Nation and I'm so excited for his new chapter in life – to be a grandfather and to spend more time with Debra."
Dr. Beth Miller, former UNC Senior Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator:
"I congratulate Derek on his retirement. He has been an excellent coach and mentor for countless numbers of student-athletes during his 39 years as head gymnastics coach. I was fortunate to work with Derek for many of those years and always admired how he successfully managed his program and related to his gymnasts, their families and the community. He always strongly advocated for the best interests of his team, but also understood the importance of how gymnastics was an integral part of the total athletic department. Derek is a wonderful person and has always been a wonderful representative of Carolina. He is an amazingly loyal Tar Heel. I wish Derek the very best in his well-deserved retirement. "
Karen Shelton, UNC Field Hockey Head Coach:
"Derek and I came to UNC at the same time and we've grown together as coaches and colleagues over the years. There's not a kinder person in our department – he always has a great attitude and a smile on his face – and no one works harder. He's done a fantastic job with his program. I have so much respect for him and so much appreciation for the career he's had here and the way he's represented our University. He'll certainly be missed and we wish him all the best in his retirement."
Galvin, a native of Ireland who attended UNC and competed on the men's gymnastics team in the early 1970s, became the head coach in 1981. His Tar Heel teams posted 441 victories, won five East Atlantic Gymnastics League titles and advanced to NCAA regional competition 12 times in the last 19 seasons.
"Derek's positive attitude, willingness to offer a hand or advice and dedication to his gymnasts have inspired all of us," says Tar Heel Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. "His teams have been a leading voice for diversity, inclusion and mental health, setting an example for our entire department. His teams competed with distinction and excelled in the classroom and our community. No one works harder at a meet than Derek, which demonstrated his desire to give his gymnasts a complete effort every time they took the floor. We wish Derek and his family the best as he embarks on the next step in what will be an enthusiastic next act."
This past season (which was cut short prior to the conference meet scheduled for Chapel Hill due to Covid-19), Carolina placed 15 gymnasts on the EAGL All-Academic team, Khazia Hislop earned second-team All-America honors on vault and was the EAGL Specialist of the Year and Elizabeth Culton was the EAGL Rookie of the Year. It was Hislop's third All-America honor.
"Serving as a coach and teacher at Carolina over the past 39 years has been an incredible privilege, and a wonderful joy," says Galvin. "The Carolina Athletics Department and this campus community have provided my family and me with so many fantastic experiences and a lifetime of inspiration.
"I became a Tar Heel in 1970 when I was invited to join the Carolina men's gymnastics team. My former teammates, classmates, and faculty and staff helped shape my experiences as a student-athlete. Since returning to Carolina as a coach in 1981 it has been my colleagues in the athletic department, student-athletes I have worked with, Rams club members and Carolina fans, friends in the community, and certainly my wife, Debra, and our children and grandchildren who have added even more texture and color to my experiences. Now, 50 years later this amazing adventure as a student-athlete, coach, and teacher is about to transition once again, and it seems to have gone by much too quickly.
"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. 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.
"Marie Denick will do a great job directing the program. Her competence and leadership qualities have served the team well over the past three years and she has played a key role in developing our culture and focus.
"I will be forever grateful for all the many ways the Carolina community has blessed my family and me."
Courtney Bumpers won NCAA individual championships in the floor exercise while competing for Galvin in 2004 and 2005, earning a perfect 10 in defending her title. Galvin coached seven gymnasts who won EAGL All-Around titles and his gymnasts won 22 EAGL event championships.
Academically, the Tar Heels excelled at the highest level, earning numerous Phi Beta Kappa honors, nearly 160 National Association of College Gymnastics Coaches' Scholastic All-America honors and two Academic All-America awards. In 2003, Natalie Halbach became the first female student-athlete in the Atlantic Coast Conference to receive a Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship, the NCAA's most prestigious academic award.
Carolina Gymnastics has earned a Public Recognition Award for having an Academic Progress Rate in the top 10 percent in the country in 10 of the last 11 seasons.
Galvin was inducted in the USA Gymnastics Region 8 Hall of Fame in 2017.
The Dublin native moved to Arlington, Va., when he was 10 years old. He competed on two state championship teams under coach Jesse Meeks at Yorktown High School and graduated from Carolina with a psychology degree in 1976. Galvin and his wife, Debra, have two children and five grandchildren.
Martina Ballen, UNC Athletics Chief Financial Officer, Gymnastics Team Administrator:
"Derek shows care and thoughtfulness with his athletes, his staff, administrators and supporters. He is always first with 'well done' or 'it will get better.' Although it is part of my responsibility, he always thanked me for being at a meet or practice. Over the years I've come to realize that his love and belief in the program and the University are as consistent as the breathtakingly beautiful Carolina falls, year after year. Derek is a shining Tar Heel gem."
Marie Case Denick, Associate Head Coach UNC Gymnastics:
"I am so grateful for the opportunity to know Derek and learn from him over the last three years at UNC. He cares deeply about the Carolina community and it shows in the way he treats every person with positivity, enthusiasm and respect. He welcomed my family and me to Carolina with open arms and kindness. There is never a doubt he genuinely cares about each person that has crossed paths with him. His outlook and pride in Carolina is something I with continue to carry on with me every day. I am thankful for the support and the belief he has given me to be confident and excited in this new position to lead Carolina Gymnastics. Thank you Derek, for dedicating so much of your life to Carolina and our student-athletes and being an incredible teacher of the Carolina Way."
Anson Dorrance, UNC Women's Soccer Head Coach:
"My heart fell when I heard Derek is retiring, because in terms of personal character he has been the North Star of our athletic department forever. I was honestly shaken because good people are so hard to find, and he is one of the best. I have such huge respect for everything Derek is and what he stands for. I'll genuinely miss having him being a daily part of my athletic family. I'm excited for Derek for what he has to come in retirement and look forward to him remaining in the Carolina community so I can run into him in the future. He is truly a wonderful man."
Dana Duckworth, Alabama Gymnastics Head Coach:
"I am absolutely honored to share my appreciation for Derek Galvin because he's one of the finest human beings I've ever met. His integrity, respect for others and class are noticeable in everything he does. When he told me about his retirement, I joked with him that he was the man-of-all-trades. Back in the day he only had one assistant coach. He was the guy that fixed the bars, built the podium and did so many other things like set-up and tear down the arena floor. He has built a successful staff, but I have to go back to his character.
"It's really easy to brag about Derek because he is a man of character, competence and true passion. It is evident he loves the Tar Heels, his family and the gymnastics program. I've known him for a very long time and to call him a mentor, a friend and a confidant is a blessing. I remember my first visit to North Carolina and witnessed his loyalty, kindness and generosity with his time and commitment for his student-athletes.
"His retiring is a huge loss for the collegiate gymnastics community, but at the same time, I think he's been a Tar Heel for 50 years between his time as an athlete and his time as a coach. He's left a legacy for the Tar Heel Nation and I'm so excited for his new chapter in life – to be a grandfather and to spend more time with Debra."
Dr. Beth Miller, former UNC Senior Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator:
"I congratulate Derek on his retirement. He has been an excellent coach and mentor for countless numbers of student-athletes during his 39 years as head gymnastics coach. I was fortunate to work with Derek for many of those years and always admired how he successfully managed his program and related to his gymnasts, their families and the community. He always strongly advocated for the best interests of his team, but also understood the importance of how gymnastics was an integral part of the total athletic department. Derek is a wonderful person and has always been a wonderful representative of Carolina. He is an amazingly loyal Tar Heel. I wish Derek the very best in his well-deserved retirement. "
Karen Shelton, UNC Field Hockey Head Coach:
"Derek and I came to UNC at the same time and we've grown together as coaches and colleagues over the years. There's not a kinder person in our department – he always has a great attitude and a smile on his face – and no one works harder. He's done a fantastic job with his program. I have so much respect for him and so much appreciation for the career he's had here and the way he's represented our University. He'll certainly be missed and we wish him all the best in his retirement."
Players Mentioned
AA
/ Women's Gymnastics
V, BB, F
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