Something has changed within Mizzou gymnastics that fans may notice soon. Lacey Rubin has stepped away after three seasons, leaving an important gap in the program moving forward.

During her three seasons, Rubin helped turn Mizzou’s balance beam team into one of the strongest in the country. She also coached Helen Hu to an NCAA individual title. Her work helped the team reach historic rankings and deliver record-breaking performances.

The announcement was made by Mizzou Gymnastics on Twitter, where they wrote, "Thank you for being a Tiger, Lacey 🫶 We appreciate everything you’ve done for our program and can’t wait to see all you do in your next chapter!"

Rubin joined Mizzou as an assistant coach for the 2024 season and quickly became an important part of the staff. She worked primarily with the balance beam group and helped turn it into one of the team’s strongest events.

In 2025, the team set a program record on beam with a score of 49.575 against Arkansas, then matched that mark in the second round of the NCAA Championship.

Rubin’s impact was especially evident in Helen Hu’s success. Under Rubin’s guidance, Hu earned three perfect 10s and won the 2025 NCAA national beam title. During Rubin’s three years at Mizzou, her beam group remained among the best in the country each season.

The Tigers finished No. 22 in 2024 and improved to No. 11 in both 2025 and 2026, showing clear progress over time.

Much of Rubin’s impact at Mizzou came through her coaching style.

Lacey Rubin’s coaching approach at Mizzou

Rubin was named in the 2025 WCGA Assistant Coaches of the Year list, in recognition of her work at Mizzou and the way she guided her athletes. She focused not only on technique but also on understanding each gymnast personally.

Mizzou senior Amy Wier said, “She’s very technical. She understands how my brain works. She takes the time to really get to know you. When I first got here, she caught on really quickly how I work and what corrections work for me, what drills work for me.”

Wier also spoke about how Rubin adjusted her approach depending on each athlete.

“She knows that I like to do a lot of numbers, but she also knows that I’m old and I’m in my fifth year, so my body doesn’t work the same as it used to,” Wier said. “She just works really well with me and just the whole group. She tailors it person to person, which is really nice.”

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Written by

Divyanshi Raj

Edited by

Sahil Prashar