Sycamore native Nita Teague named NIU gymnastics coach

NIU on Tuesday named hall of famer and Sycamore native Nita Teague head coach of the gymnastics program, removing the interim title she’s held for almost a year.

Teague has worked with the program for 19 years and has spent 22 years as a coach and choreographer at Energym Gymnastics in Sycamore. She was the interim coach last year after Sam Morreale retired in September.

“I’m super happy to be leading these ladies officially as the head coach at NIU,” Teague said. “It’s a great honor and I want to thank Sean [Frazier, athletic director] and Courtney [Vinson, executive associate athletic director and sport administrator] for entrusting me with the future of the program. I’m excited for the opportunity to continue to build on the great reputation of NIU gymnastics, to raise the expectations in the gym and to take the program to the next level.”

Teague (formerly Doty) becomes the program’s fourth head coach. A Huskie gymnast from 1981-84, she joined the NIU coaching staff in 2007 and was elevated to the top assistant position in 2012. In November 2019, she was named associate head coach before moving into the interim head coach role last season.

Following the conclusion of the 2025 season, NIU conducted a national search for the position with Teague emerging as the top candidate, Frazier said.

“As we went through the search process, Nita’s extensive experience in college gymnastics, her ability to connect with and develop student-athletes, as well as her familiarity with NIU quickly established her as the best choice to lead the program going forward,” Frazier said. “We’re very excited to remove the interim label and look forward to continuing the legacy of success both in the gym and in the classroom that have been hallmarks of Huskie gymnastics.”

During Teague’s tenure, NIU gymnastics has posted the highest scores in school history, sent 37 individuals across all events to the NCAA Regionals and recorded the Huskies’ top finishes at the Mid-American Conference Championships. NIU won the 2019 MAC Championship, clinching the title on balance beam, an event Teague has directly worked with throughout her career, along with floor exercise.

During her career competing as a Huskie, Teague was named NIU’s Female Athlete of the Year after qualifying for the AIAW Midwest Regional as a freshman. In 1984, she earned the Women’s Leadership Award. She was inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989 and has served as a member of the Hall of Fame Committee.