STATE COLLEGE, Pa., September 20, 2000 - Head men's gymnastics coach Randy Jepson recently announced that former Penn State standout and all-American Ron Roeder joined the Nittany Lion men's gymnastics staff as an assistant coach. Roeder joins Jepson and Slava Boiko on the coaching staff beginning the 2000-01 season while pursuing a master's degree in agricultural engineering.

A 1999 Nissen Award candidate, Roeder makes his collegiate coaching debut at his alma mater. The top all-arounder on the team as a senior, he was an all-American on the rings twice and once on the floor and parallel bars. He nearly won a national title on the floor exercise and the rings in 1998 and on the rings in 1999.

Roeder owns five of the top eight best marks on the rings in Penn State history, including the top two marks and a school record 9.95 which he posted in 1999 at the NCAA East Regional and at the NCAA Championships. He also marked the second-best score in school history on the parallel bars against Ohio State with a 9.85 that same year. He finished 24th at the USA Championships in 1996 and nearly earned a spot on the national team, placing 21st at the championships.

"The addition of Ron to the program is going to be a huge help to the program," says Jepson of Roeder. "A third pair of eyes will free up Slava and myself and we will be able to do things we have never been able to do before. He is close to the system and knows what we are looking for. As a coach, he will be able to communicate what we want to the student-athletes."

The Nittany Lions won an NCAA-record 10th national title last year. The team begins defending its crown on January 13 against Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass. The return 12 gymnasts from last year's squad.