Jim Hartung

Honors and Awards

• Two-Time U.S. Olympian
• 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist 
• Seven-Time NCAA Event Champion
• 22 All-American Awards
• U.S. National Team Visitation Coach
• Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame 
• World Acrobatics Society Hall of Fame 
• Nebraska Men's Gymnastics Assistant Coach 2006-Present
• CGA Hall of Fame Inductee (2024)

Hartung passed away on January 10, 2026. 

One of gymnastics most highly decorated competitors of all time, Jim Hartung enters his 21st season as a Nebraska assistant coach in 2026. Hartung has dedicated his life to bettering the sport he loves. Over the last 32 years, Hartung has worked in all aspects of the gymnastics community from competing to judging and now coaching and has earned a level of success paralleled by few in his field.

Hartung was a part of the College Gymnastic Association’s inaugural Hall of Fame Class in 2024.

In 2022, Hartung helped produce two All-Americans (Dillan King and Donte McKinney). Hartung helped the Huskers to a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships. He also helped NU reach the NCAA Finals for the sixth time in seven years. The Huskers earned a fourth-place finish for the second consecutive year. 

In 2021, Hartung helped produce four All-Americans (Taylor Christopulos, Charlie Giles, Evan Kriley and Mitch Tyndall). Hartung helped the Huskers return to the NCAA Championship Finals for the fifth time in six years. The Huskers earned a fourth-place finish and five All-America honors.

In 2020, Hartung helped produce a regular season All-American (Jake Bonnay) despite the season ending early due to the coronavirus. Hartung was on track to help the Huskers return to the NCAA Championship Finals for the fourth year in a row. The Huskers ended the season ranked fourth in the CGA Coaches Poll.

In 2019, Hartung led the Huskers to their best national finish since 1999, as the team finished third nationally. Hartung also helped produce five All-Americans (Jake Bonnay, Charlie Giles, Khalil Jackson, Josh Martin and Anton Stephenson). Hartung coached Anton Stephenson to his third Big Ten title on vault.

In 2018, Hartung led the Huskers to a fifth place national finish. Hartung helped produce four All-Americans. Hartung also helped the vault program, as Anton Stephenson earned his second Big Ten title. He also helped three Huskers to place in the top three at the Big Ten Championships (Anton Stephenson, Jake Bonnay and Kyle King).

In 2017, Hartung helped lead the Huskers to the team finals at the NCAA Championships, where the team finished sixth nationally. Austin Epperson and Kyle King each grabbed All-American honors. Additionally, Anton Stephenson claimed the Big Ten vault title at the Big Ten Championships, becoming the program's first conference champion since 2002. Hartung also helped Chris Stephenson claim NCAA Gymnast-of-the-Week accolades.

In 2016, Hartung helped Ethan Lottman to All-America honors on the pommel horse. Hartung also played a vital role in freshman all-arounder Anton Stephenson's success. Stephenson placed seventh on parallel bars at the NCAA Championships and earned All-America honors. Hartung also helped lead the Huskers to a seventh place overall finish at the NCAA Championships.

In 2015, Hartung helped Ethan Lottman earn All-America honors on the pommel horse.

In his first year with the Huskers in 2006, Hartung made an immediate impact. His hands-on work ethic and knowledge of gymnastics technique brought a new level of training to the Nebraska gymnastics program.

Prior to Coaching at Nebraska
A protégé of the prestigious Omaha Sokol gymnastics club in Omaha, Hartung came to the University of Nebraska as a freshman gymnast in 1979 and made an outstanding debut onto the collegiate scene under head coach Francis Allen. Hartung garnered All-America status on five of six events during his freshman season and went on to amass a total of 22 All-America awards and seven NCAA individual titles over the next three years. His accolades included a pair of all-around titles in 1980 and 1981. 

Hartung also led the Huskers to their first four NCAA team titles and consequently became Nebraska's first Nissen-Emery Award winner in 1982. The Omaha native finished his collegiate career as the most highly decorated gymnast in Nebraska history and still owns the program's all-around record of 58.55 which he earned in 1981.

His tremendous collegiate career led Hartung to the Olympics before he even had a diploma in hand, as he was first selected the U.S. team in 1980. Hartung repeated the honor in 1984 after graduating from NU. He helped the United States to its first and only team gold medal at the summer games in Los Angeles, California.

After competing in the Olympics as an athlete, Hartung went on to spend nearly a decade as a visitation coach for the U.S. national team and became one of the top 10 gymnastics judges in the world.

Hartung has four children, Jim, Nick, Jake and Hannah.