The UCLA gymnastics program has hired two new assistant coaches.

On Tuesday, the Bruins announced via X that Mark Freeman and Lacy Dagen would complete the gymnastics coaching staff in 2025.

This is the second major change to the UCLA gymnastics team’s coaching staff in three years, with the first coming in 2021 when head coach Janelle McDonald took over the reins of the program from Valorie Kondos Field.

Freeman is a California gymnast and was an assistant coach for the Golden Bears from 2017 to 2019. It was during this opportunity that he met McDonald, who became an assistant coach for California in 2019.

After his time in California, Freeman became an assistant coach for four-time NCAA champion Stanford in men’s gymnastics. He was named West Region Assistant Coach of the Year four times and was a member of the National Coaching Staff of the Year five times.

As a coach, Freeman has produced several male Olympians at the last two Summer Olympics, including Paris 2024 Olympic team bronze medalists Brody Malone and Asher Hong.

In addition to his coaching career, Freeman was a member of the British senior national team from 2001 to 2004. As a member of the junior national team, he made history in 2002 when he became the first British gymnast to win a gold medal at a major international competition: the gold medal on rings.

“I am beyond excited and honored to join the UCLA women’s gymnastics team,” Freeman told UCLA Athletics. “The legacy and reputation of this legendary program speaks for itself. To be associated with it is truly an honor. I want to do my part to help our team develop and grow and help the Bruins succeed.”

Dagen is also a familiar face with the Bruins, having coached former Pac-12 opponents Arizona State and Oregon State, and most recently served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Sun Devils.

Dagen will replace Autumn as UCLA’s float coach. During her time at ASU, she helped the team post a record-breaking 11 consecutive meets over 49.0 points, one of which (49.550) was the highest the Sun Devils had achieved on the apparatus since 2017 and the sixth-highest in program history.

Similar to Freeman, Dagen has coached Olympic gymnasts, including 2024 Paris Olympics team gold medalist Jade Carey. Dagen coached Carey in 2023 when she was an assistant coach for Oregon State. In one season with the Beavers, Dagen helped the team to the highest team score in program history (198.075). She also helped Oregon State to a share of the Pac-12 regular season title.

“I am thrilled to join UCLA’s legendary program,” Dagen told UCLA Athletics. “I look forward to proudly carrying the blue and gold flag in my home state, helping an exceptional group of student-athletes achieve their goals both in the classroom and on the competition field, and contributing to the legacy of UCLA Gymnastics.”

Freeman and Dagen will join McDonald and floor coach BJ Das as the coaching staff of the UCLA gymnastics team in 2025.