Aryn DeGrood ’09Alumni and Staff

Aryn DeGrood is in her ninth season as head gymnastics coach in 2023. A 2009 Gustavus graduate and four-year member of the gymnastics team, DeGrood served as an assistant coach at her alma mater before taking over the reigns as the sixth head coach in the program’s history.

The 2017 WIAC and Division III West Region Coach of the Year, DeGrood has coached 19 all-conference athletes (one WIAC champion), 10 All-Americans, and one national event champion. She also coached the West Region Gymanst of the Year in both 2016 and 2019. During her nine seasons at the helm, DeGrood has led the Gusties to three event school records and nine of the top 10 team scores in program history. 

A native of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, DeGrood is a 2005 graduate of Eden Prairie High School where she was a two-sport athlete competing in gymnastics and track & field.

While at Gustavus, DeGrood was a member of both the gymnastics and track & field teams. As a gymnast, she earned four letters and was a key contributor on the vault, uneven parallel bars, and floor exercise. She competed in the vault at the NCGA Championships in 2008 and 2009 and was named a NCGA All-Academic honoree her senior season. On the track, Aryn excelled in the 100-meter high hurdles and earned a total of four all-conference honors over her career.

After graduating from Gustavus with a degree in history, DeGrood attended the University of North Dakota, where she served as a graduate assistant coach in the track & field program for two seasons while working toward her master’s degree in history. Following her time at UND, she assisted two years with the Macalester College track & field program before returning to Gustavus as an assistant for the gymnastics team in June of 2013.

During her year long stint as the assistant at Gustavus, DeGrood assisted in all aspects of practice and meet management. She served as the team’s travel coordinator, coached two national competitors, assisted in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes, and organized the program’s first Alumnae meet.

DeGrood follows in the footsteps of former head coaches Nancy Baker, Jerry Connolly, Kris Glidden, Katie Olson, and Charlie Aydt.  The Gustavus gymnastics program is home to eight national championships, 55 All-Americans, and 18 national event champions.

Aryn currently resides in St. Peter and is married to her husband Justin '07, and together have two daughtesr, Zoey and Harper, as well as a dog, Riggs.

Courses Taught