Nadalie Walsh

Head Coach

University of Illinois women's gymnastics head coach Nadalie Walsh enters her seventh season at the helm entering the 2024 season. Her hire was announced by Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced on June 12, 2017.

In the 2023 season, she lead Illinois to its 19th-straight NCAA Regionals appearance. The only year they did no reach regionals is when the season was canceled due to COVID-19.

In her first season at Illinois, Walsh took the Illini to a third-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional, their highest finish since 2015. Walsh coached 2018 NCAA individual qualifier Rae Balthazor to a Second-Team All-American performance on floor exercise. The Illini finished third at Walsh's first Big Ten Championships, as Balthazor, Bridget Hodan, and Nicole Biondi earn all-conference honors. Under Walsh’s watch, the Illini had ten All-Big Ten Academic performers as Balthazor, Hodan, Rachael Donovan, Lindsay Dwyer, Jordyn Givens, Mary Jane Horth, Karen Howell, Brittany Jones, Sarah Lyons, and Haylee Roe were all honored.

The Illini followed Walsh's inaugural campaign with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Ann Arbor Regional and a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships, which equaled their highest conference finish since 1990. Mary Jane Horth won the conference title on bars and was named First Team All-Big Ten. Karen Howell, Kasey Meeks, and Kylie Noonan earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors. Illinois boasted 11 Academic All-Big Ten honorees, the program's most since 2009.

In the 2023 season, Walsh 's team broke both the beam team record (49.675) and the floor team record (49.525). Walsh also led the team to a fifth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships as well as coaching Mia Takeawa to a shared bars title. Walsh guided both Takeawa and Mia Townes to All-Big Ten nods -- Takeawa taking first team and Townes being named second team. Takekawa was also named to the WCGA Second-Team on balance beam for the second straight year. The women's gymnastics team also had 14 Academic All-Americans adding to Walsh's already impressive numbers.

Prior to arriving at Illinois, Walsh spent four years (2013-2017) at the helm of Utah State, where she guided the Aggies to four-consecutive NCAA Regional appearances.

Walsh also spent six seasons (2008-2013) as the head coach at Ball State, where she coached six different gymnasts to the NCAA Regional Championships for a total of 10 appearances, as well as four Mid-American Conference individual event champions. She also coached one MAC Senior Athlete of the Year as part of eight All-Mid-American Conference gymnasts during her tenure at Ball State.

Before taking the position at Ball State, Walsh spent four years (2004-07) as the head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, her alma mater. In her final season at UW-Oshkosh, Walsh guided the Titans to the 2007 National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) National Championship. The NCGA is the governing body for college gymnastics for NCAA Division III Schools. It was UW-Oshkosh's second national title in the program's history and the first since 1989. The title win by the Walsh-led Titans in 2007 halted a six-year reign by UW-La Crosse.

Walsh was named the NCGA Coach of the Year in 2006 and also earned Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletics Conference Coach of the Year accolades in 2005 and 2006, as well as Division III West Regional Coach of the Year honors in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Most recently, Walsh was named Regional Coach of the Year in 2022.

Before becoming UW-Oshkosh's head coach, Walsh was an assistant coach for the Titans from 2001-03, helping the Titans to a second-place finish at nationals in 2001.

A native of Kewaskum, Wis., Walsh earned her bachelor's degree in exercise science and fitness from UW-Oshkosh in 2000. She and her husband, Victor, have three children Aiden, Ireland, and Valient.