Mary McDaniel enters her second season as an assistant coach at Kentucky after enjoying a great debut campaign in 2012.
McDaniel, who was hired on July 11, 2011 oversees Kentucky's efforts on balance beam as well as coordinating dance routines for floor exercise.
Beam proved to be one of Kentucky's best and most consistent events as a team in 2012. The Wildcats ranked in the top 20 on the event for much of 2012.
McDaniel helped senior Storey Morris close out her career in style as she nearly broke a career-best score with a9.85 ather final meet, the 2012 NCAA Regional.
McDaniel came to UK after a successful 20-year stint as a club coach in Kansas, helping countless young gymnasts fulfill their dreams in collegiate athletics.
McDaniel spent time at McCracken's Gymnastics and Swim in Olathe, Kan., before arriving in Lexington. She held countless titles there, including head coach and meet director since 1991. While in Olathe, McDaniel was directly responsible for all aspects of McCracken's team program, including personally training and coaching all level nine and 10 gymnasts and helping design routines, practice schedules and performance requirements.
Over her 20-plus years of coaching club, McDaniel has coached numerous athletes to USA Gymnastics Western Nationals and level 10 USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic Nationals. McDaniel has also coached numerous athletes to state and regional championships, while helping a large handful of gymnasts to Division I programs across the nation.
While coaching at McCracken's Gymnastics, McDaniel spent 15 years as a member of the USA Gymnastics Kansas State Administrative Committee, helping organize state clinics and other gymnastics activities around the state.
McDaniel began coaching in 1987 as a level four and five beam and floor coach at McCracken's Gymnastics before moving to Gym Country Gymnastics in Tulsa, Okla., where she served as the beam and floor coach for a year. McDaniel moved back to McCracken Gymnastics in 1991 to begin her successful 20-year post as office manager, meet director and head coach.
The native of Olathe graduated from the University of Kansas in 1994 with a bachelor of science degree in business administration with a concentration in exercise science.
Mary is married to Ken McDaniel and the couple has one daughter, Isabelle, 5.
