BERKELEY – Two-time NCAA champion and former NCAA Gymnast of the Year Geralen Stack-Eaton has been named the 14th head coach of the California women's gymnastics team, Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton announced Tuesday.
 
Stack-Eaton's first head coach appointment comes after spending the last 11 seasons as an assistant coach for Minnesota. During her tenure, the Gophers reached new heights with three NCAA Championship appearances, a Big 10 championship and a trip to the NCAA Regionals every year. In those 11 years, Minnesota totaled 30 NCAA All-America honors, 43 WCGA regular-season All-America selections, 46 All-Big Ten honors, 21 Big Ten individual event titles, five Big Team Gymnast of the Year awards and two AAI award-winners.
 
"We are very pleased to welcome Geralen to the Cal Family," Knowlton said. "She brings a wealth of experience, both as a coach and competitor that has been to the pinnacle of the sport. Our women's gymnastics team is one of the top programs in the country, and we are thrilled that Geralen will be leading us into the next chapter."
 
Stack-Eaton helped lead Minnesota to back-to-back NCAA Championships appearances in 2021 and 2022. The Gophers won their first Big Ten Championship in 15 years in 2021.
 
Stack-Eaton served as the primary floor exercise coach and choreographer for Minnesota, which finished ranked in the top 12 in the nation on that event in each of the last five years. The Gophers finished second in the country on floor in 2022, breaking the program record on six occasions and ending the year with an NQS of 49.620. Minnesota had its highest finish in school history that year as well, placing sixth at the NCAA Championships. Stack-Eaton was named NCAA Region 2 Co-Assistant Coach of the Year following the season.
 
"I'm extremely honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead Cal women's gymnastics, and I'd like to sincerely thank Cal Athletics, Jim Knowlton, and (Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director) Josh Hummel for their trust and support," Stack-Eaton said. "This program embodies excellence — blending a world-class education with an elite athletic experience — and I'm proud to be part of its continued tradition of success. My coaching philosophy is rooted in mentorship, empowerment, and high-level performance. I look forward to guiding each student-athlete to reach their full potential, pursue ambitious goals, and grow as confident leaders on and off the competition floor. Together, we'll build on Cal's incredible legacy and shape a future defined by passion, unity, and championship-level achievement."
 
Stack-Eaton helped Minnesota produce one of its most successful gymnasts in program history – Mya Hooten, who became one of the top floor competitors in the sport from the moment she and Stack-Eaton began working together in 2021. Hooten finished her freshman year ranked fourth in the nation in the event and second as a sophomore, third as a junior, and second again as a senior. Hooten made four NCAA Championship appearances, was a six-time All-American on the event, and scored a program-record nine perfect 10s. The Gopher great three-peated as the Big 10 Floor champion from 2022-2024.
 
Prior to her long stint with the Gophers, Stack-Eaton served as a coach and choreographer for several clubs, including Parkettes National Training Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, NYC Elite in New York City, and Gold Medal Gymnastics Center in Long Island.
 
Stack-Eaton had a decorated career as a gymnast for Alabama, where she led the Crimson Tide to back-to-back NCAA championships in 2011 and 2012. She collected two straight individual national titles as well winning the floor exercise championship in 2011 and a balance beam championship in 2012. The 2012 NCAA DI Gymnast of the Year earned 12 All-America selections during her four-year career, including first team honors in the all-around, vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise. Stack-Eaton was also a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and earned a bachelor's degree in telecommunications and film.