Dana Duckworth

Dana Duckworth (born c. 1971), née Dana Dobransky, is an American former college gymnastics coach and former college gymnast. She was the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide women's gymnastics team of the University of Alabama until May 2022,[1] having succeeded Sarah Patterson in July 2014. Duckworth previously served as an assistant coach under Patterson for fifteen years, after having competed for Patterson's Crimson Tide gymnastics team for four years as an undergraduate.[2]

Dana Duckworth
Biographical details
Born1971 (age 51–52)
Sterling Heights, Michigan
Alma materUniversity of Alabama
Playing career
1990–1993Alabama
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2000–2014Alabama (Asst.)
2014–2022Alabama
Head coaching record
Overall10-3
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
NCAA Team Gymnastics (1991)
NCAA Balance Beam (1992, 1993)
SEC Team Gymnastics (1990)
SEC Balance Beam (1992, 1993)
Awards
All-American (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993)

Early years

Duckworth was born to Richard[3] and Judy Dobransky.[4] Judy Dobransky has long been involved with gymnastics coaching.[5] The Dobranskys are a Jewish family.[6]

Duckworth received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where she was a member of coach Sarah Patterson's Alabama Crimson Tide women's gymnastics team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Southeastern Conference (SEC) competition from 1989 to 1993.[7] Despite suffering a stress fracture in her left leg as a sophomore, she recovered in time to perform as a key member of the Crimson Tide squad that won an NCAA national team championship in 1991.[8] During her four-year college sports career, she earned five All-American accolades, and won the individual SEC conference and NCAA national titles in the balance beam in 1992 and 1993—including a perfect score of 10.0 in the NCAA individual event in 1993.[9][10] Following her second NCAA title, she was recognized as the NCAA Woman of the Year for the State of Alabama in 1993.[11]

As an undergraduate, Duckworth earned Scholastic All-American honors three times, and CoSIDA Academic All-American accolades twice.[12] She also received an NCAA postgraduate scholarship and a similar award from the SEC, and used the scholarships to attend graduate business school at the University of Alabama and earn her master's degree in business administration (MBA) in 1998.[11][12]

Coaching career

Duckworth became a full-time assistant coach under the Crimson Tide's long-time head coach Sarah Patterson in 2008, after having served as a volunteer assistant during the previous nine seasons.[12] During her time as Crimson Tide assistant, the program won NCAA national team championships in 2002, 2011 and 2012, as well as SEC conference championships in 2003, 2009 and 2011.[13][14]

Following the 2013–14 season, Patterson retired after 36 years as the Tide's head coach, and University of Alabama athletic director Bill Battle named Duckworth as Patterson's successor on July 15, 2014.[15] The university's board of trustees approved her five-year contract with an annual base salary of $170,000.[16] Duckworth inherited a highly successful Crimson Tide gymnastics program that has won six national championships in the previous 26 seasons.[17] Her team's first-year schedule as coach included four of the six finalists from the 2014 NCAA national championship tournament, including NCAA co-champions Florida and Oklahoma.[18] The 2014–15 gymnastics season was Duckworth's 20th with the Crimson Tide as a student-athlete, assistant or head coach.[13]

On May 19, 2022, Duckworth stepped down from her position as coach of Alabama.[19]

Personal

Duckworth is married to Joe Duckworth, Jr., a partner in a Tuscaloosa area commercial real estate firm.[20] The Duckworths have two children, a son and a daughter.[12]

See also

References
  1. "Dana Duckworth Steps Down as Head Coach of Alabama Gymnastics". University of Alabama Athletics. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  2. Andrew Gribble, "Dana Duckworth won't be alone as she takes over for legendary Alabama gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson," AL.com (July 16, 2014). Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  3. Richard John Dobransky, "Richard John Dobransky of Sterling Heights, Michigan | 1930 - 2021 | Obituary," simplefunerals.net (2021). Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  4. Sean Landry, "Alabama's Dana Duckworth living the dream as head coach," The Tuscaloosa News (April 16, 2015). Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  5. USA Gymnastics, Region 5, "Judy Dobransky, Brevet Judge, Coach, Choreographer: Region 5 Gymnastics Hall of Fame, Inducted 2015," USA Gymnastics, Region 5 (2015). Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  6. Richard Pearl, "Class of '84," The Detroit Jewish News (August 17, 1990). Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  7. 2014 Alabama Gymnastics Media Guide, Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, pp. 13, 21, 24, 25, 37, 45, 53, 88, 94, 100, 102–104, 112, 115–121, 123–127 (2014). Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  8. Andrew Carroll, "Sportslight: Seasoned Sophomore," The Tuscaloosa News, p. 1C (April 19, 1991). Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  9. Andrew Carroll, "Dobransky Defends Beam Title," The Tuscaloosa News, pp. 1B & 2B (April 19, 1993). Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  10. Associated Press, "Gymnasts perfect in meet," Times Daily, p. 3B (April 19, 1993). Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  11. RollTide.com, Gymnastics, Coaches, Dana Duckworth. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  12. "Dana Duckworth Named Alabama Gymnastics Head Coach," RollTide.com (July 15, 2014). Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  13. Marq Burnett, "Duckworth set to take over Tide gymnastics," The Anniston Star (July 19, 2014). Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  14. "Champion gymnast and assistant Dana Duckworth named coach at Alabama," NCAA.com (July 16, 2014). Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  15. "Tough schedule for first-year Alabama gymnastics coach Dana Duckworth," The Tuscaloosa News (August 31, 2014). Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  16. Associated Press, "Alabama gives Dana Duckworth 5-year deal," The Washington Times (July 15, 2014). Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  17. Cliff Kirkpatrick, "Patterson hands Alabama gymnastics reins to Duckworth," Times Daily (July 16, 2014). Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  18. Drew Champlin, "Alabama's 2015 gymnastics schedule includes 4 of last year's NCAA Super Six finalists," AL.com (August 31, 2014). Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  19. "Gymnastics Coach Dana Duckworth unexpectedly steps down: What is her legacy?," RollBamaRoll.com (May 19, 2022). Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  20. Patrick Rupinski, "Duckworths and old family business," The Tuscaloosa News (December 5, 2010). Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  • RollTide.com – Official webpage of Alabama Crimson Tide gymnastics
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