Assistant coach Kurt Hettinger is in his third season coaching women's gymnastics at Auburn and has improved the program since his transfer from Kent State.
"(Auburn) is a really successful program, and it's in the best gymnastics conference in the country, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to get into," Hettinger said.
Hettinger is the recruiting coordinator for the Tigers and is the head coach for the uneven bars.
He also assists the vault and floor events.
With the help of Hettinger, Auburn received its highest ranking at No. 4 in 2009.
Hettinger started coaching at an early age.
"I started coaching a little bit in high school," Hettinger said. "I would coach younger kids before I had to do the practice for myself, and then in college I would help out in camps. Then it was pretty much my first full-time job right after college. I just fell in love with it."
Hettinger said he likes the teaching factor of coaching and seeing the growth in his athletes.
"I really enjoy coaching," Hettinger said, "helping kids learn a skill as much as I enjoy learning skills."
After coaching the men's team for a year at his alma mater--the University of Illinois--Hettinger moved on to the women's side of the sport.
"The reality is there are only about 15 men's programs left," Hettinger said.
The lack of competition in the men's programs left Hettinger believing women's gymnastics was the best option.
"I've always loved coaching, but if I were to continue coaching club, that'd be the way I could coach men's," he said. "I also wanted to get married and have a family, and I knew that my wife wouldn't be interested in me getting home at 10 o'clock at night, and that's what coaching club pretty much is."
Hettinger is proud of the Auburn gymnastics team and encourages everyone to come to the meets.
"It's a great event for your family. It's really good entertainment, and you can see great athletes at the same time," he said.
Hettinger has a wife named Katherine and enjoyed the birth of their newborn son Cameron in June of 2010.
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