Jake Bonnay Joins Illinois Men's Gymnastics Coaching Staff as Assistant Coach
June 15, 2026 | Men's Gymnastics
NEWS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini men's gymnastics head coach Daniel Ribeiro announced the hiring of Jake Bonnay as an assistant coach on Monday.
Bonnay joins the Orange and Blue after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the Army men's gymnastics program.
"Illinois men's gymnastics has a legacy that speaks for itself. Year in and year out, this program competes at the highest level and is known for producing some of the best gymnasts in the world," Bonnay said. "As one of the most storied programs in the NCAA, the opportunity to be a part of it is a responsibility I don't take lightly. I've always wanted to coach in the Big Ten and to help a team rise to the top of the NCAA rankings. It's an incredibly difficult feat, but I believe it's well within reach, especially given the support and commitment surrounding Illinois Athletics.
"The opportunity to work alongside Daniel and Don every day, learn from them, and contribute to a program with this kind of tradition is something I simply couldn't pass up. I'm incredibly excited for what's ahead, and I can't wait to join the Illini FamILLy."
During his time with the Black Knights, Bonnay led Army to the 2025 ECAC Championship, snapping a nine-year title drought, before securing the ECAC regular-season crown in 2026. Under his guidance, Army won its first-ever USAG Collegiate National Championship and posted its highest team finish in program history at the 2026 NCAA Championships, at which the Black Knights came in ninth place. He also coached two CGA All-Americans, two USAG national champions, and eight NCAA finalists at Army.
Bonnay led the recruiting operations for the Black Knights while also developing and implementing athlete performance systems and lineup optimization models. He also directed daily training structure and athlete development across all apparatuses, reinforcing technical execution and performance readiness.
Prior to his time at West Point, Bonnay spent two years at Greenville University, helping co-found the school's NCAA men's gymnastics program and leading the Panthers to NCAA Championship qualification in its second competitive season. He designed full athlete development systems – including individualized training plans, routine and skill progressions, and performance standards – and implemented strength and conditioning programming.
He also managed team operations, oversaw recruiting efforts, implemented an academic accountability system, and led gymnastics camps and clinics.
While at Greenville, he guided the Panthers to a runner-up finish at the ECAC Championships in 2024 while coaching two CGA All-Americans, three ECAC champions, one USAG national champion, and four NCAA finalists.
"I spent nearly eight months searching for the right fit for our staff. Jake comes with experience from two different collegiate programs and brings a level of passion and work ethic that can help lift our program to new heights," Ribeiro said. "As a former collegiate athlete himself, Jake will help elevate our program, in and out of the gym, through his exceptional technical knowledge and his ability to connect with recruits and athletes outside of training. I couldn't be happier that we took things slow and found the perfect fit for our Illini famILLy."
Before going into coaching, Bonnay competed at Nebraska, where he was a four-time All-American and two-time Big Ten silver medalist from 2017-22. A finalist for the Nissen-Emery Award in 2020, he served as a team captain for the Cornhuskers from 2019-20.
Also competing on the international level, he represented the Canadian National Team from 2014-16 and 2018-22.
A native of Burlington, Ontario, Canada, Bonnay earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in journalism and mass communications. Bonnay and his wife, Megan, are the parents of two golden retrievers, Maui and Maple.
