Co-Head Coach - Women's Gymnastics

Justin Howell

The 2016 NACGC/W National Coach of the Year, six-time Regional Coach of the Year and three-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year Justin Howell took the helm of the Cal Women’s Gymnastics program in June of 2012.

He is already the winningest gymnastics coach in program history and the first to reach 100 wins at Cal, surpassing the 100-win mark at the 2018 Pac-12 Championships in the Bears’ third-place finish. He owns a 176-119 career record in all meetings, including the postseason. The Bears have claimed an NCAA Regional berth every season under Howell.

Howell led the Bears to their first-ever Pac-12 title in school history as they Bears finished as Regular Season co-champions during the 2022 season. At the conference meet, the Bears took second place and recorded their highest ever score at a Pac-12 championship as they posted a 197.425, Cal recorded five of the top 20 team scores in school history, including the second-best mark in school history as they posted a 197.900 against Iowa, a meet that also saw the Bears record a program record on floor. Cal set a school record on the beam at the NCAA Regional Championship. Three Bears ranked in the top 25 in the all-around, something only one other program in the country accomplished in 2022. Cal posted the second-best NQS in school history at 197.330, which was the third straight year Cal has recorded an NQS over 197 and the seventh-straight year Cal has finished in the top 16 of the NQS. The Bears finished the regular season ranked ninth, and were 11th in the final rankings. 
 
The Bears had their best season in school history in 2021 despite dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which forced a shortened offseason. The Bears qualified for the NCAA Championship for the fourth time in school history and set program records on the uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise and overall score. Cal posted a 197+ score in 10 straight meets and did not count a fall all season, they also posted four of the top five team scores in school history during the 2021 season. The Bears finished with the fifth-best NQS in the country and ranked in the top 10 on all four events at the end of the regular season. The Bears finished seventh at the NCAA Championship and Maya Bordas won the NCAA Individual Championship on the uneven bars. Cal recorded 21 wins and posted 87 scores at 9.90 or above during the season. Kyana George was named WCGA Region 6 Gymnast of the year and was a finalist for the AAI Award. Cal also had four Regular Season All-Americans, nine All-American honorees and 12 All-Pac-12 honors all of which were program bests. Alongside his wife, Elisabeth Crandall-Howell, Howell was named Pac-12 Co-Coach of the Year, WCGA Region 6 Co-Coach of the Year and College Gym News Coaching Staff of the Year. 

While Cal’s 2020 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bears clinched their eighth consecutive NCAA postseason berth. Throughout the year, Cal claimed 100 top 3 finishes and produced 40 event titles, with seven different gymnasts displaying Cal’s depth by claiming an event title. Cal’s rankings improved on all four events from 2019 -- vault: 12 to 6; bars: 12 to 8; beam: 13 to 12; floor: 21 to 13 -- with six different gymnasts ranked in the top 50 on an event nationally prior to the start of the pandemic. Howell and co-head coach Crandall-Howell were voted the WCGA Regional Head Coaches of the Year, while Cal gymnasts claimed a school-record eight All-Pac-12 honors on top of three Regular-Season All-America awards.

The 2019 season saw the Golden Bears continue their transformation to a perennial powerhouse, producing a perfect record at home and qualifying for NCAA Regional competition yet again, where they managed to post a program-record 197.675 team total in the NCAA Athens Regional final, the fourth-highest score in the country in any regional final meet. Toni-Ann Williams was named a top six finalist for the AAI Award, bestowed upon the nation’s top gymnast, and for the third time since Howell took the reins of the program, a Cal gymnast claimed Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors with Milan Clausi taking the award. Clausi was also the Regional vault champion, punching her ticket as an individual to the NCAA Championships. The Bears ended the regular season ranked in the top 25 nationally on all four events -- vault (12th), bars (12th), beam (13th) and floor (21st), and jumped in the rankings on both bars (up from 15 in 2018) and floor (up from 22 in 2018).

An NCAA championship berth was just one in a long list of accolades for the Cal program in 2018, which saw the Bears tally 14 team totals that rank among the school’s all-time Top 5 scores while hauling in 40 event titles and 109 Top 3 individual finishes. Despite a slow start to the 2018 season, under Howell’s direction the Bears finished with seven consecutive victories and a 12-4 regular-season record with five wins over Top 25 opponents. Cal put up program-best scores in every postseason event, including the Pac-12 Championships, NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships. 

The Bears ended the 2018 season ranked in the nation’s top 25 on all four events – vault (8th), bars (15th), beam (12th) and floor (22nd) and improved their end-of-season RQS on three events -- vault (49.275, up from 49.145), bars (49.230, up from 49.025) and Floor (49.255, up from 49.120). Five gymnasts ranked in the Top 50 on an event nationally at the conclusion of the regular season, and a school-record three gymnasts shared six All-Pac-12 honors. Phenom Toni-Ann Williams was crowned an NCAA All-American on top of two NACGC/W Regular-Season All-America honors in 2018. The Bears shined in the classroom, too, with four Bears earning Pac-12 All-Academic nods.

In 2017, Howell was recognized by RoadToNationals.com as the NCAA’s most impactful head coach among all active collegiate gymnastics coaches for his role in Cal’s ascension as a gymnastics powerhouse. Shortly before Howell took over the program, the Bears finished the 2012 season ranked 49th nationally. In just two years time, Howell led the Bears to a No. 16 ranking with a growing conference and national presence. Cal’s 33-spot rise from 2012 to 2014 marks the largest margin of improvement in NCAA gymnastics history, a feat only one other school has achieved (Maryland, 1997-99).

Cal opened 2017 with its highest preseason ranking in school history at No. 10. Despite numerous season-ending injuries to several veteran competitors, the Bears earned their fifth consecutive team berth to NCAA Regional competition and sent a competitor to the National Championships for the fourth season in a row. Desiree Palomares became the first Golden Bear in school history to earn an NCAA Regional beam title, and the Bears posted six team totals that ranked among the program’s all-time best totals, posting a near-perfect 8-1 record in Haas Pavilion. Cal took care of business in the classroom as well, with five gymnasts earning Pac-12 All-Academic honors.

In 2016, the Golden Bears made history by earning the program’s second-ever berth to the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships, ending a 24-year drought for their first appearance since 1992. Under the direction of Howell, who was named National Coach of the Year, Cal finished seventh following a second-place finish at the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional. The Bears once again rewrote program-record team scores, improving to a 197.500 overall total. Twice in 2016, Cal set the school record on beam, first with a 49.325 at ASU and then with a 49.350 at the UC Davis tri meet, and posted nine team totals that ranked among all-time program highs.  

Prior to season’s end, Howell was also voted Pac-12 Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, and NACGC/W Regional Coach of the Year for the fourth time.

During the season, Howell played a pivotal role in Toni-Ann Williams’ development as the first gymnast to compete in the Olympics for Jamaica. Howell served as the head coach for Team Jamaica, mentoring Williams prior to the 2016 Summer Olympic games, helping her qualify for Olympic competition and traveling with her to the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In addition to helping her to Regular Season First Team All-America honors during Cal’s season, Howell dedicated countless hours of additional gym time to Williams’ Olympic training to help support her dream of competing in the Olympics alongside her collegiate career.

Cal’s 2015 season saw the Bears finish the season ranked 18th after posting 10 team totals that ranked in the program’s all-time top five. The record-breaking season included a program-high 197.325 in a dual meet against UC Davis, as well as team record scores on vault (49.500) and floor (49.550) and the second-highest bars score in school history (49.525). Cal claimed 44 individual event titles.
Howell and his staff swept the NACGC/W West Region honors in 2015, as he was named Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season and Liz Crandall-Howell (Assistant Coach of the Year), Ryan Cobb (Administrator of the Year) and Williams (Gymnast of the Year) all picked up awards.

Individually, Howell oversaw the development of Jamaican National Team member Williams, who represented Cal at the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships as an all-arounder. She won vault at the NCAA Berkeley Regional to punch her ticket to nationals. The performances came on the heels of Williams’ Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, All-Pac-12 First Team All-Around and NACGC/W Regular-Season All-America nods. Additionally, Howell oversaw Williams’ training for the World Championships as the Jamaican National Team head coach.

In 2014, the Bears rewrote the Cal Women’s Gymnastics record books, improving in areas across the board. It was the first time Cal claimed two individual berths to the NCAA Championships in program history, and the first time Cal sent gymnasts to the NCAA Championships since 2003. The Bears also finished third at the Pac-12 Championships, which was the program’s highest finish ever, and the team also posted its highest Pac-12 Championships score (196.550).

Howell also guided the 2013 squad to its first NCAA Regional berth since 2007. For his tremendous accomplishments in his debut season as head coach, Howell was recognized as the 2013 Pac-12 Coach of the Year and 2013 NACGC West Region Coach of the Year.

Prior to becoming head coach, Howell was assistant coach with the Golden Bears for the 2012 season. Howell was elevated to the top post following a national search for the position following Danna Durante’s resignation to become the head women’s gymnastics coach at the University of Georgia.

In his first season on the Cal staff, Howell played a major role in guiding the squad to an average score nearly a full point higher than the year prior to his arrival. The Golden Bears saw measurable improvement across the board with 23 gymnasts recording personal high scores and eight student-athletes earning Pac-12 All-Academic honors.

Howell came to Cal with more than 15 years of experience as a head coach in the area, having served as the head coach and team director at Airborne Gymnastics in Santa Clara since 1997. In his club coaching career, Howell coached more than 40 gymnasts to NCAA scholarships at 19 different universities, while leading Airborne gymnasts to 30 state championships. He coached two Junior Olympics national AA champions, four JO National Team members and two U.S. National Team members. Howell was named the 2004 Northern California Coach of the Year, the 2008 Region I Coach of the Year, and was appointed a Visa Championships coach in both 2008 and 2010. He is the founder of the Rhythm Attic Dance Studio, a Zumba fitness studio in Santa Clara.

Howell and wife, Elisabeth Crandall-Howell, have three children -- Jacob, Noah and Greyson. He received an athletic scholarship at San Jose State University, graduating in 1999 with a B.S. in kinesiology.