Former six-time Penn State All-American Kevin Tan is entering his seventh season as a full-time assistant coach under Randy Jepson.
After establishing himself as one of the top collegiate gymnasts during his Nittany Lion career, Tan achieved that lofty status on the international gymnastics stage in 2008. A lifetime of hard work and preparation culminated in the realization of a lifelong dream when Tan was named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team following a first-place showing in the still rings at the Olympic Trials in Philadelphia. He was further honored when he was selected, by a vote of his teammates, to represent the team as its lone captain. With the world[apos]s gaze focused on Beijing, China, Tan[apos]s dream became sweeter when he helped the U.S. capture a bronze medal in the team finals of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
Tan[apos]s Olympic achievements were just the pinnacle of his competitive success in 2008. In May, Tan won his third straight rings title at the VISA Championships.
A month prior, he won a silver medal in the still rings at the 32nd Turnier der Meister Cottbus, Germany, an event that featured a collection of the world[apos]s elite competitors from 40 countries. His standout showing at the Turnier der Meister came on the heels of two impressive performances earlier in the year. In February, Tan captured his third consecutive and fourth overall rings championship at the Winter Cup Challenge. Later that month, he led a select group of gymnasts from the U.S. Men[apos]s Senior National Team to a 361.350-352.600 dual meet victory over Canada in Calgary. With perhaps his best performance in his distinguished international career, Tan won the pommel horse (14.900), the still rings (16.300), and the parallel bars (15.500).
After returning from Beijing and the Olympics, Tan[apos]s star continued to rise when he signed on to perform with the 2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars. Along with a select group of the nation[apos]s most celebrated gymnasts, Tan embarked on a three-month long, 37-city whirlwind tour of the United States, displaying his gymnastics skills in the live extraordinary sports and music extravaganza.
Tan officially retired from competitive gymnastics in March 2011.
[quote]Kevin had an incredible run as a competitor and that has made him a better coach,[quote] said Penn State head coach Randy Jepson. [quote]He has seen things from both sides. Having a former world-class elite competitor in our gym every day is a tremendous benefit. He brings a lot of wisdom, competitive experience, and thought process into his coaching.[quote]
A member of Penn State[apos]s 2004 NCAA championship team, Tan was the Nittany Lions[apos] first back-to-back NCAA champion on the still rings, earning titles in 2003 and 2004. He also earned All-American honors on the parallel bars (2002) and high bar (2003) during his standout college career.
During his senior year in 2004, Tan was one of the premier collegiate gymnasts in the nation, becoming a finalist for the Nissen-Emery Award. He was an all-conference honoree, winning both the still rings and parallel bars crowns at the 2004 Big Ten Championships. His still rings title was his third-consecutive conference championship in the event.