Q & A With Ronayne

AMES, Iowa- Since arriving at Iowa State in August, gymnastics head coach Jay Ronayne has taken in his new surroundings, began preparation for competition season, and above all, become a great addition to the Cyclone family.

Prior to taking his position at Iowa State, Ronayne held positions at Auburn and West Virginia. He has 17 years of assistant coaching experience, including four consecutive NCAA Regional Championship appearances (2003-2006) and one NCAA Championship (2003) while at Auburn. With his strong values and commitment to excellence, Ronayne strives to develop his student-athletes to reach goals both athletically and academically.

Get to know the head gymnastics coach in this Q & A segment with Coach Ronayne.

What were your first impressions of Iowa State?

I never had the opportunity to visit ISU before I interviewed for this position and I simply had very little information to form any opinion. It is interesting to walk into a place without any expectations, and all first impressions were overwhelmingly positive. Initially I was struck by the beauty of the campus, but foremost, I was impressed with the quality of people. I got a sense from everyone that I met that there is something special going on here. I could just feel the commitment to excellence and pride in ISU that everyone has. Now, I am completely at home here. The same values that I carry are the values that drive this University. I see that ISU is continually striving to be better...whether we are talking about our didactic programs, our outstanding research programs or our athletics programs; we are not willing to settle for mediocrity. I feel like there is no slowing of progress in sight for ISU and we will continue to be at the forefront for a long, long time.

What is your favorite part of being a Cyclone?

I love all of the tradition that comes with being a Cyclone. There are volumes of history that has made the Cyclones what they are today, and I love being a part of the new chapter that is being written right now.

How have you transitioned from 17 years as an assistant coach, to the head coach?

Over the past years I often thought about what I would do as a head coach in certain situations. I'd ask myself, “Would I handle this that way if I was the head coach?” I have seen that the tough decisions come down to the head coach and I have tried to prepare myself for it over the years. I feel the best thing I could do is surround myself with good people. I have one of the best staffs in the country to work with and the success we have will be a direct result of their hard work and insight. I will rely heavily on my years of experience and my staff's unique talents. They have already made the transition from assistant coach to head coach easier than I had anticipated.

How would you describe your coaching style/coaching staff?

We all feel very strongly that we are developing the leaders of tomorrow in our gym. We want to teach each of our student-athletes that honesty, integrity, hard work and treating people as you want to be treated, will get you far in this world. We work within this framework daily to get to our goals of academic success and athletic excellence.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you travel?

Mary and I love to travel and have gone to many places already. For the next big trip we both would like to go to Ireland and explore the country of our ancestry.

What is your favorite movie?

Ever since I was a kid I have thought the funniest movie ever made is “Blazing Saddles.” It is a masterpiece of irreverence.

Who is your role model?

I'm unsure if I have one particular role model. My coaching style has been influenced by many coaches that I have worked with as colleagues or have coached me when I was an athlete. Early in my coaching career I read a lot about the legendary John Wooden. Coach Wooden thought of himself as a teacher and so do I. I suppose I would consider him a bit of a role model.

What cartoon/TV character is most like you?

I guess I have a pretty calm demeanor, I suppose I am a bit of a Clark Kent.

What is your vision for ISU gymnastics?

I envision a team that works hard, has fun, learns a lot, and just also happens to win some championships along the way.

Iowa State University Athletics

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