Ohio State is changing leaders in women’s gymnastics less than two months before the new season, parting ways with head coach Meredith Paulicivic after nine seasons in a move the university described as a mutual agreement. Ohio State’s Department of Athletics announced the decision on Tuesday, November 10, according to EssentiallySports, ending a tenure that began in May 2017 and carried the Buckeyes to five NCAA regional finals.
Associate head coach Randy Monahan will step in as interim head coach for the upcoming season, giving the program a familiar voice while the university decides on permanent leadership. Ohio State has not disclosed a reason for the separation or a timetable for naming a permanent successor, EssentiallySports reported.
Athletic director Ross Bjork acknowledged the difficult timing in the university’s announcement, as reported by EssentiallySports. “Making a change of this nature is never easy at a time like this,” Bjork said in the announcement. “We’re going to do everything we can to support the student-athletes, as well as Coach Monahan, throughout this transition. We wish Meredith and her family all the best.”
Paulicivic arrived in Columbus with deep roots in the sport. A former Utah gymnast, she competed on NCAA championship teams in 1992 and 1994, earned three All-America honors on vault and captained her team as a senior, according to EssentiallySports. Before Ohio State, she built her coaching career at clubs and colleges including SCEGA Gymnastics in California, where she helped develop six U.S. National Team members, and served as an assistant at Arizona and Utah.
In Columbus, she coached several Big Ten champions and All-Americans, including Ella Hodges, Tory Vetter and Lexi Edwards, EssentiallySports reported. The university had recognized that work in July 2024 by announcing a contract extension for Paulicivic through the 2027 season, which makes this week’s separation a notable turn for a program that appeared settled for the long term.
The timing adds pressure on two fronts. The national signing period opened a day after the announcement, meaning recruits weighing Ohio State are doing so under an interim staff, and the competitive season begins in less than 60 days. Monahan inherits a roster he knows well, but the program must now steady recruiting and preparation at the same time.
What happens next is a permanent coaching decision from Bjork’s department and a season that will test how quickly the Buckeyes adjust. For now, the focus inside the program is on supporting the gymnasts through the transition, and Monahan leads Ohio State into the 2027 campaign as the search for a long-term answer continues.
Photo: Nova Crystallis, CC BY-SA 4.0