Women's Gymnastics
Villegas, Jay
Jay Villegas
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Phone:
- 401-863-1950
- Email:
- justino_villegas@brown.edu
- Joined Brown:
- September 2019
- Alma Mater:
- Southern Connecticut State University
A veteran coach with over 40 years of experience coaching gymnasts in New England, Jay Villegas spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Brown University gymnastics program from 2020-2023.
Villegas was voted the 2023 USA Gymnastics Co-Women's Assistant Coach of the Year, along with fellow Brown assistant, Alex Hyland. Villegas was instrumental in coaching on bars, mentoring USAG First Team All-American Ella Poley, and Second Team All-GEC honoree Paige Richter. Under Villegas' guidance, Brown gymnasts achieved a total of five USAG First Team All-America honors, 19 All-GEC honors and eight All-Ivy honors, while capturing the program's fifth Ivy Classic title. The Bears also posted the highest National Qualifying Score in program history (194.315) to qualify for the USAG Collegiate Nationals Team Semifinals. In the classroom, the Bears posted the highest team GPA in the nation and had 19 student-athletes earn Scholastic All-America honors from the WCGA.
In 2022, Brown finished runner-up at the inaugural GEC Championships, while earning eight All-GEC honors. In addition, the team earned eight USAG All-American honors while qualifying for the team finals at USAG Nationals for just the third time in program history. Villegas helped mentor Ivy co-champion and NCAA Regional qualifier on bars, Mei Li Costa, who also and set a new school and Ivy League record with a score of 9.975 on bars, including the school’s first ever perfect-10 from one of the judges. Brown gymnasts also combined for four All-Ivy awards.
In 2020, Villegas’ gymnasts totaled nine All-Ivy Classic awards and six All-ECAC accolades alongside two ECAC Scholar-Athletes of the Year, one USAG All-American, six ECAC All-Academic Team selections, and 10 USAG Scholar-Athlete honorees. Brown’s 2021 competitive season was canceled due to COVID-19.
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Villegas’ extensive experience includes serving as the head coach and competitive program director at Ocean State School of Gymnastics from 2007-2022, as a staff member with USA Gymnastics from 1990-2020, and as an assistant at the University of Bridgeport during the 2018-19 season, where the team qualified for ECAC Nationals.
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With Ocean State School of Gymnastics, Villegas coached gymnasts through the elite level, and led numerous teams and individuals to National, Eastern National, Regional and State Championship Titles. Villegas developed an Elite-level program while developing and coaching some of Rhode Island’s Elite-level gymnasts that went on to compete at Power Five Conference schools.
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During his time with USA Gymnastics, Villegas worked as a National Team Staff member as the USA Regional TOPS (Talent Opportunity Program) Coordinator. He provided technical analysis and evaluated gymnasts ages 7-10 from across the country in his role, coaching TOPS prospects and qualifiers as future Elites.
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Villegas also acted as the head coach and program director at Kingstown Gymnastics from 1983-2001 and as an assistant coach at Grossfeld Gymnastics in Milford, Conn., from 1980-85.
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A former collegiate gymnast at Southern Connecticut State University, Villegas served as a certified personal trainer and certified strength and conditioning coach for over 30 years.
COACHING TIMELINE
Villegas was voted the 2023 USA Gymnastics Co-Women's Assistant Coach of the Year, along with fellow Brown assistant, Alex Hyland. Villegas was instrumental in coaching on bars, mentoring USAG First Team All-American Ella Poley, and Second Team All-GEC honoree Paige Richter. Under Villegas' guidance, Brown gymnasts achieved a total of five USAG First Team All-America honors, 19 All-GEC honors and eight All-Ivy honors, while capturing the program's fifth Ivy Classic title. The Bears also posted the highest National Qualifying Score in program history (194.315) to qualify for the USAG Collegiate Nationals Team Semifinals. In the classroom, the Bears posted the highest team GPA in the nation and had 19 student-athletes earn Scholastic All-America honors from the WCGA.
In 2022, Brown finished runner-up at the inaugural GEC Championships, while earning eight All-GEC honors. In addition, the team earned eight USAG All-American honors while qualifying for the team finals at USAG Nationals for just the third time in program history. Villegas helped mentor Ivy co-champion and NCAA Regional qualifier on bars, Mei Li Costa, who also and set a new school and Ivy League record with a score of 9.975 on bars, including the school’s first ever perfect-10 from one of the judges. Brown gymnasts also combined for four All-Ivy awards.
In 2020, Villegas’ gymnasts totaled nine All-Ivy Classic awards and six All-ECAC accolades alongside two ECAC Scholar-Athletes of the Year, one USAG All-American, six ECAC All-Academic Team selections, and 10 USAG Scholar-Athlete honorees. Brown’s 2021 competitive season was canceled due to COVID-19.
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Villegas’ extensive experience includes serving as the head coach and competitive program director at Ocean State School of Gymnastics from 2007-2022, as a staff member with USA Gymnastics from 1990-2020, and as an assistant at the University of Bridgeport during the 2018-19 season, where the team qualified for ECAC Nationals.
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With Ocean State School of Gymnastics, Villegas coached gymnasts through the elite level, and led numerous teams and individuals to National, Eastern National, Regional and State Championship Titles. Villegas developed an Elite-level program while developing and coaching some of Rhode Island’s Elite-level gymnasts that went on to compete at Power Five Conference schools.
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During his time with USA Gymnastics, Villegas worked as a National Team Staff member as the USA Regional TOPS (Talent Opportunity Program) Coordinator. He provided technical analysis and evaluated gymnasts ages 7-10 from across the country in his role, coaching TOPS prospects and qualifiers as future Elites.
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Villegas also acted as the head coach and program director at Kingstown Gymnastics from 1983-2001 and as an assistant coach at Grossfeld Gymnastics in Milford, Conn., from 1980-85.
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A former collegiate gymnast at Southern Connecticut State University, Villegas served as a certified personal trainer and certified strength and conditioning coach for over 30 years.
COACHING TIMELINE
| Season | School/Team | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1980-1985 | Grossfeld Gymnastics | Assistant Coach |
| 1983-2001 | Kingstown Gymnastics | Head Coach/Program Director |
| 1990-2020 | USA Gymnastics | TOPS Coordinator |
| 2007-2022 | Ocean State School of Gymnastics | Head Coach/Competitive Program Director |
| Sept. 2018-June 2019 | University of Bridgeport | Assistant Coach |
| Sept. 2019-April 2023 | Brown University | Assistant Coach |
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