DENVER – Dave Kuzara will be the next assistant coach for the University of Denver gymnastics team, head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart announced on Thursday.
 
"We are excited to welcome Dave to the Denver Gymnastics family," Kutcher-Rinehart said. "He brings a wealth of experience in collegiate coaching and recruiting at the highest levels, and he shares our program's values, philosophies and commitments. He is the perfect person for our program's academic and athletic goals.
 
"I've known Dave for an extended period of time, and I trust his character and judgment."
 
Kuzara has coached at the collegiate level for the last 30 years, most recently as an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Michigan. He is a three-time Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year and was named the 2011 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Coach of the Year.
 
"For a variety of reasons, this is the right time for me to come to Denver," Kuzara said. "DU is a top-10 program with its eyes set on a national championship and because of my relationship with Melissa and (associate head coach) Linas Gaveika, I feel like the transition can be smooth."
 
Kuzara is already looking ahead to the 2022 season and preparing to help the team succeed. "Adjusting to what they need is going to be a strong suit for me," he said. "I'm going to learn what works for them and bring some of what has been successful for me in my career."
 
He added: "I want to thank head coach Sam Snider at Pitt. I enjoyed my experience and am thankful for the opportunity to work with her over the last four years."
 
Since 2018, Kuzara has been an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh, serving as the team's primary floor coach. In his four seasons at Pitt, he coached the Panthers to multiple top-10 program scores on floor and a combined six All-East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) honors on floor. He helped lead Jordan Ceccarini to the EAGL floor title in 2021 and Brittany West to an NCAA Regionals appearance on floor. Pitt also advanced as a team to NCAA Regionals in 2018 during Kuzara's first season with the Panthers.
 
Kuzara twice served as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan, most recently from 2014-17 and in his first collegiate coaching role in 1991-93. In three consecutive season at UM (2015-17), he earned regional Assistant Coach of the Year honors. He was the Wolverines' primary vault and floor coach, and helped lead the team to what were then the top two floor scores in program history.
 
From 2010-13, Kuzara was the head coach at Western Michigan University, leading the team to the MAC Championship in 2013 and collecting conference Coach of the Year honors in 2011.
 
His first head coaching stint came at the University of Massachusetts from 1994-2002 where the team advanced to NCAA Regionals nine times and won the Atlantic 10 Conference title in 1996 and 1997, the first conference championships in program history. In total, his student-athletes earned 35 All-American honors.
 
In between his two head coaching roles, Kuzara was also an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas in 2007-09 and at West Virginia University in 2003-06.
 
Kuzara began his collegiate coaching career at Michigan in 1991, spending three seasons with the Wolverines. Denver head coach Kutcher-Rinehart would become Michigan's assistant coach when Kuzara left for Massachusetts in 1993.
 
Kuzara replaces former DU assistant coach Jimmy Pratt, who left the program due to personal reasons. "We want to thank Jimmy for his passion, support and energy, and everything he brought to Denver Gymnastics," Kutcher-Rinehart said. "We will miss him and wish him luck in his future endeavors."
 
CORONAVIRUS UPDATES:
For the latest University of Denver updates on the coronavirus, click here.
 
SHOP PIONEERS
Get dressed for game day! Get your Pioneers gear at ShopPioneers.com, the official online store of University of Denver Athletics.
 
DONATE 
Fans interested in making a donation to the gymnastics program can do so online. Your contribution will make a direct impact on the success of YOUR Pioneers. Thank you in advance for your unwavering support of our student-athletes and their quest for excellence.
 
- OUR JOURNEY, OUR TIME –
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Gymnastics on Facebook.
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Gymnastics on Twitter.
Follow @DenverPioneers and @Denver_Gymnastics on Instagram.