NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's gymnastics team welcomed former Redbird Andrea Orris to the coaching staff, as an additional assistant coach beginning in 2015.
"We are very excited to have Andrea come back home to ISU and join our staff. I feel she will be a great addition with her background in dance, along with her college gymnastics experience. She will help us take the team to the next level," head coach Bob Conkling said.
Along with Orris' assistant coach title, her responsibilities include serving as the team's beam and floor choreographer.
After graduating from ISU in 2010, Orris coached at Rising Stars Gymnastics, a local club in Bloomington, Ill. In 2013, she accepted an offer in Austin, Texas, but returned this past summer to Bloomington to continue coaching at Rising Stars. Returning to her roots as a Redbird, Orris accepted the offer as a new assistant coach and will continue to instruct at Rising Stars.
Orris was one of Conkling's first recruits as head coach at ISU. During her time as a Redbird (2006-2010), the gymnast received many honors. Orris was a member of the 9.8 club on bars, balance beam and floor exercise and also won the Athletic Department Phoenix Award her last year in 2010, and was announced as the MIC Conference Senior Athlete of the Year.
Before becoming a gymnast at ISU, Orris trained at WOGA, which is a world-renowned gymnastics club in Plano, Texas. She trained with Olympic All-Around Gold Medalists Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin.
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