University of Denver Women's Gymnastics

Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart will enter her 28th season at the helm of the University of Denver gymnastics program in 2025-26. Since arriving in 1998-99, Kutcher-Rinehart has led Denver to 26-consecutive appearances at NCAA Regionals and six NCAA Nationals team berths. Among her many accomplishments is Denver's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Championship Final (2019) where DU finished a record-breaking fourth overall. In her career, Kutcher-Rinehart has had at least one individual qualify for NCAA Nationals in 24 of the last 25 years that the competition was held -- including two NCAA individual national champions: Lynnzee Brown on floor exercise in 2019 and Nina McGee on floor exercise in 2016. In 2019, she was named the WCGA National Head Coach of the Year. Since Kutcher-Rinehart became head coach, the Pioneers have finished the season in the top 25 every season, including in the top 10 in six times and a total of 16 seasons in the top 15.

Ava Mabanta will serve as a student assistant coach in 2025-26. She was a student-athlete on the team for the 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. Three-Time WCGA Scholastic All-America (2023, 2024, 2025). Achieved career high of 9.850 on beam in February, 2023. Missed 2024 and 2025 seasons with injury. Completing bachelor's degree in business information & analytics, and marketing (double major).

John Carney will enter his first season as an assistant coach at Denver in 2026. He brings extensive experience from coaching at top programs including California, Missouri, and Oregon State. At California (2022-25), he helped lead the Bears to an NCAA runner-up finish in 2024 and won consecutive regular-season conference titles. At Missouri (2013-22), he helped the program rise from not qualifying for NCAA Regionals to a fifth-place finish at NCAA Nationals in 2022. He was named 2023 WCGA National Assistant Coach of the Year and is a 2023 USA Gymnastics Washington State Hall of Fame Inductee. He holds a Bachelor's degree in new media communications from Oregon State and a Master's degree in educational and counseling psychology from Missouri.

Mary Rice will begin her first season at Denver as an assistant coach ahead of the 2025-26 academic year. Prior to Denver, she served as Optional Team Coach at Brandy Johnson's Gymnastics (2020-25) where she coached levels 9 and 10 full-time and helped lead 45 gymnasts to USAG DP Nationals and seven to Nastia Liukin Cup (including 2023 and 2025 all-around silver medalists). She also choreographed all beam routines and many floor routines. Previously, she was Team Director/Head Coach at Sun Country Gymnastics (2012-20), coaching from the compulsory program up to the Level 10 program. She is a USA Gymnastics Level 10 women's gymnastics judge, has coached a total of 15 gymnasts to NCAA Division I athletic scholarships, and served as USAG Florida committee member. She holds a Bachelor's degree in applied physiology and kinesiology - exercise physiology from Florida (2011) and a Master's degree in exercise physiology from Florida (2014).

Megan Haught will begin her first season at Denver as an assistant coach ahead of the 2025-26 academic year. Women's Team Coach at WOGA (2010-19) where she coached elite, optional and compulsory teams, helped lead gymnasts to national, regional and state titles, and more than a dozen NCAA DI gymnastics scholarships. Gymnast at the University of Georgia (2005-08), 2007 WCGA All-American (vault), four-time NCAA National Champion (team), three-time SEC Champion (team). Senior Elite Gymnast at WOGA (1999-2004). National women's gymnastics judge (2023-25). Coached at Rockwall High School, Williams Middle School and Brandenburg Middle School in Texas. Bachelor's degree in sociology (Georgia '08).