Story courtesy of Northern Illinois Athletic Communications
DeKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University Hall of Famer Nita Teague, a 19-year member of the Huskie women's gymnastics staff who has served as interim head coach of the program since September, will have the interim tag removed, NIU vice president and director of athletics
Sean T. Frazier announced Tuesday.
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."
Teague, a native of Sycamore, Illinois, becomes just the fourth head coach in program history. 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.
"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} 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."
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 (nee Doty) was named NIU's Female Athlete of the Year after advancing to 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.
Prior to joining the NIU coaching staff, Teague spent 22 years as a coach and choreographer at Energym Gymnastics in Sycamore.
