Asher Hong has been on a meteoric rise to fame since his win at the Olympics. And the man who had led the mat sensation to all this success is none other than Thom Glielmi. The Cardinal’s head coach has been a talismanic presence in the life of the gymnast and continues to be so. In fact, Asher is not the only athlete that Glielmi has rocketed to excellence.

With a history of shaping champions and known for strategic dominance, Thom is one of the most revered figures in the men’s gymnastics world. But who exactly is this man who has turned the Stanford Cardinals into a powerhouse? With all the intrigue surrounding him, we will today look upon Thom Glielmi and the success and impact in gymnastics he has had.

A storied history in gymnastics

When one talks about gymnastics, one talks about the Cardinals. And when one talks about the Cardinals, one talks about coach Glielmi. It is no surprise after all. Starting with his first championship in 2009, Thom has won the NCAA title a total of seven times. In fact, his last five wins have come in the last six years. Since 2019, Glielmi has had a vice grip on the title. Such is the sheer dominance that he exerts.

In his 22 years at Stanford starting in 2003, he has been a central figure in American gymnastics. On the back of his NCAA exploits, he has been awarded the national coach of the year seven times. When asked why he does coaching, he mentions, “I liked the adrenaline rush.” And with so much success, one might think he was made for coaching. But that was not always the case.

You will be surprised to know that the Illinois native initially aspired to pursue a different career. “I planned on going into radio or television as a writer, but with the offers to coach, I opted to give that a try,” recalls the 59-year-old. Who knows where the gymnastics world would have been without him? Well, for one, the athletes he has coached can certainly be happy that he chose to coach.

Thom Glielmi says that great coaches need to know the sport “inside and out,” be consistent, communicate well, and set clear expectations. And from the look, the athletes seem to agree with him. Khoi Young, a central part of the Cardinals, says, “One of my favorite things I take away from his coaching is that you want to train as if you’re competing and compete as if you’re training.” But the impact of coach Thom Glielmi extends beyond collegiate success. His influence goes well beyond national levels.

Glielmi’s legacy goes beyond NCAA competition

Thom Glielmi followed the triumphs with the national team as well. First selected as part of the national team in 1998, he led Team USA to a bronze at the 2003 Pan American Games. Since then, he has been part of multiple international coaching teams, such as the 2000 and 2021 Olympics. In the latter, he was the head coach of the team.

His mentorship has also led to much success for his mentees. He has led two former Olympians, Brody Malone and Asher Hong. It was on the back of Brody’s performances in the 2019 season that Thom started his dominance in the NCAA. Brody went on to translate his NCAA wins into the Olympics as well as being part of the 2021 Tokyo team.

However, his most successful mentee is unarguably Asher Hong. After two NCAA Championships under Glielmi in 2023 and 2024, Hong made his Olympic debut last year. And with his success, it is apparent how good the coach training is. Asher Hong was asked about his coach; he replied, “He keeps everyone accountable for what they are doing. That’s been a big part of the success.”

However, Thom’s efforts have extended beyond coaching. Thom is an active judge at FIG Brevit and an executive board member of USA Gymnastics. His influence has been monumental to the sport, from the grassroots level to the Olympic elite. Thom Glielmi has cemented his legacy as one of the best coaches of the last two decades, with 31 NCAA championships and dozens of All-Americans. And with the 2025 NCAA championships beginning in the first week of January, one can expect that Thom Glielmi and his troupe will be ready to make it 6 in a row.