The former Arkansas gymnastics coach, Jordyn Wieber, recently broke her silence on the ‘stay-at-home mom’ narrative after stepping down from her coaching role to focus on her family. She recently gave birth to her daughter, who is now nearly 11 months old.
Wieber’s last event coaching the Razorbacks was the 2026 NCAA Gymnastics Championships, where the team secured a seventh-place finish overall and earned a score of 196.9625 points to finish in fourth place at the semifinals. After various impressive performances from the team, four athletes earned All-American honors at the championships.
Days after concluding the nationals, Wieber resigned from her coaching role, stating that she wants to focus on her family and explore her passions. Following this, she faced backlash online, as after her stepping down to look after her newborn and her family, her husband, Chris Brooks, was immediately promoted to the head coach role. Shortly after this, she broke her silence on the stay-at-home mom narrative during her interview with ESPN.
Weighing in on the reason behind her decision and her mindset behind the development, she said:
“I want people to understand that I’m not leaving coaching to be a stay-at-home mom. I have so much respect for stay-at-home moms, but I love working. I just needed more balance. I was really worried about waking up today with a feeling of emptiness. I haven’t felt that, and I think it’s because I wake up and I see Gigi and that gives me a lot of purpose. But also, now I have the time to think about my future.”
She added:
“I feel like this is an important step for me to figure out what else I want to add into my identity as a human being without gymnastics as a part of my daily life. I don’t feel anxiety about that. I don’t feel fear. I feel a lot of excitement. I get to have more time with Gigi, but I also have other goals and passions and pursuits that I want to dive into that I wouldn’t have had the time to do if I was still a head coach.”
Jordyn Wieber’s statement upon leaving Arkansas Razorbacks
Jordyn Wieber joined the Arkansas Razorbacks gymnastics team in 2019, and after serving the team for seven years as the head coach, she recently announced her resignation from her position. The team shared her statement on their official X handle, where she highlighted her ‘unforgettable’ journey with the team and the reason behind her stepping down.
“Serving as Head Coach of Arkansas Gymnastics has been an honor. I’m deeply grateful to our student-athletes, staff, and Razorback fans for an unforgettable journey. With a heavy, but full heart and immense pride in what we have accomplished, I’m stepping away from athletics to focus on my family and other passions. I’m excited for what’s ahead and will forever be cheering on the Razorbacks,” wrote Jordyn Wieber.
Jordyn Wieber and Chris Brooks welcomed their daughter, Gigi Renne Brooks, on June 4, 2025.
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