The dawn of a new era has arrived on the Plains for Auburn gymnastics.
Athletics director John Cohen announced Tuesday morning that Ryan Roberts has been named Auburn’s next head coach, per a release. The announcement comes just weeks after the program parted ways with former head coach Jeff Graba, who led the Tigers for 16 years.
“With his demonstrated excellence in recruiting and developing high-level SEC gymnasts, Ryan Roberts is the ideal person to lead Auburn’s gymnastics program,” Cohen said. “Ryan’s professional experience makes him a great fit for Auburn. We welcome Ryan, Hanne and their family to the Plains.”
Roberts brings a wealth of SEC experience as he enters his first year with the Tigers, most recently serving as Georgia’s co-head coach since April 2025. Before his time as co-head coach, Roberts was an assistant with the Bulldogs after spending four years as an assistant at Alabama.
Since he was promoted to co-head coach, Roberts helped lift Georgia to a level it hadn’t reached in years, as the Bulldogs secured the No. 6 overall seed and reached the 2026 NCAA National Championship Semifinal for the first time since 2019. They finished sixth overall, marking the program’s best finish since 2016.
“I want to thank President Roberts, John Cohen and the search committee for this incredible opportunity and the trust to guide this program,” Roberts said. “My family and I are thrilled to now be a part of the Auburn Family and have the chance to invest in this incredible community. I am very much looking forward to leading this team and working with these student-athletes and can’t wait to get to work. War Eagle!”
Georgia also had four regular-season All-Americans, and five Bulldogs combined for seven NCAA All-America recognitions at the end of the national semifinal, which were the program’s most All-America honorees since 2024. Nine other gymnasts earned All-SEC honors, while three were placed on the All-SEC Freshman team.
This past season at the 2026 SEC Championships, Georgia posted a final score of 197.450 — the Bulldogs’ best team score at the meet since 2004 — finishing fifth.
During his tenure as an assistant in Athens, Georgia, Roberts coached the bars group, which saw significant growth over the two years. He coached Lily Smith to SEC Freshman of the Year recognition, along with four All-American honors in 2024 and eight combined All-SEC honors between 2023 and 2024.
Before his stint at Georgia, Roberts led Alabama to the 2021 SEC Championship and a No. 5 national ranking. He was named WCGA Region 1 Assistant Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2021 as part of the Crimson Tide’s staff.
Auburn has certainly struggled as of late, as it hasn't reached the NCAA Championships since 2022 and went just 5-22 overall in 2026. However, with Roberts’ past accomplishments and extensive experience around the league, the Tigers could find themselves competing for titles again soon.
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Gunner is a sophomore majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in the fall 2024.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @norene_gunner10
