AFTER 31 YEARS, 19 winning seasons and 493 victories, Bob Nelligan is no longer the face of women's gymnastics at Maryland.

But the new face looks familiar: The team's head coach is now his son, Brett.

Bob Nelligan, who everyone calls Duke, retired in June as the university's longest-tenured coach, just after being named the 2009 NCAA Division I Southeast Region Coach of the Year.

Brett, who served six years under his dad as an assistant coach, knows that taking the grips from him is no small feat.

"For his retirement, 200 gymnastics alumni came back—each with their own story about how Duke personally impacted their life. It's intimidating," Brett says.

Duke was exposed to gymnastics early on, in elementary school, and developed his own philosophy as a coach even before coming to Maryland at age 28.

By the time gymnasts got to college, he soon found, many were no longer enjoying the sport that brought them so much joy as a kid.

"My role was to be not just a coach but a caretaker," he explains. "By helping them find excitement in the sport again, it created a stronger program."

His role as caretaker extended outside the gym. To senior Brandi George, he became her family away from home.

"Duke makes the gym enjoyable, but he's also a father to all of us. When my roommate and I arrived from Florida in shorts and flip-flops, he drove us around until we found the perfect winter coats."

He also became known for encouraging his athletes to remain committed to school, and his squad won the President's Cup Team GPA award nine times since the program was founded 13 years ago.

Brett says he's up for the challenge of maintaining the program's strong tradition and plans to implement a more aggressive training and recruiting program. Says his father: "Brett is a better businessman for the program."

Losing only one student from the 2009-10 team, Kelsey Nelligan '09, Duke's daughter and Brett's sister, and welcoming four new top-notch gymnasts, Brett has high expectations for the team and himself for the season starting in January.

Duke intends to remain a proud supporter of Maryland gymnastics. Says George: "I'm not sure what retirement will bring, but I don't see him going anywhere anytime soon."
-MLB