DAVIS, Calif. -- A member of the Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Fame and a veteran of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, Tanya Ho returns to her alma mater to serve as assistant coach for the UC Davis women's gymnastics team, head coach
John Lavallee announced. She will work primarily with the uneven bars squad, while assisting in all other aspects of the program
"I'm excited to be back. I had a really good experience with John's program as a student-athlete, so I'm excited to continue that experience on his staff," said Ho, who starred for Lavallee from 2007 to 2010 before embarking on her coaching career. "John has been my mentor this whole time, so I'll get to continue that as a member of his staff."
Ho, who originally hails from nearby Elk Grove, previously served as the head coach for Alaska Anchorage from 2018-20. She made an immediate impact on the program, first mentoring the MPSF Freshman of the Year (Isabelle Fox) in her initial season, then garnering the conference's Coach of the Year award in 2019. In Ho's second year, UAA posted four of the top 10 team scores in program history, with a 194.200 at the MPSF championships representing just one of 17 school records set that year. In 2020, the Seawolves hit a 193.525 – No. 7 in the record book – before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season.
Before her arrival in Alaska, Ho served five years at Sacramento State under head coaches Kim Hughes and Randy Solorio. During her run, the Hornets won two MPSF team titles and produced 11 individual NCAA regional qualifiers. For her part, Ho snared MPSF Assistant Coach of the Year distinction in 2016.
"I continue to be extremely lucky to have the quality of assistant coaches that we have had at UC Davis, and Tanya is right in line with that tradition," said Lavallee. "To have coached Tanya as a student-athlete then watched her grow as a coach and professional has been awesome. It's incredibly exciting to have have her back at Davis with all that she has learned and experienced."
"When I first started, I kept thinking about what I know, and how can I tell athletes, who are close in age to me, what to do," said Ho. "Having 10 years under my belt, including the head coaching experience, I feel like I do have that confidence. There is always still much to learn but it's nice to have coaching accomplishments on paper."
A 2010 UC Davis graduate in exercise biology, Ho won 13 All-MPSF awards and nine conference weekly honors. She was the first Aggie gymnast to make three straight trips to the NCAA postseason, the second to make the region meet in back-to-back years as an all-arounder, and the fourth to crack the 39-point barrier in the all-around. Ho entered the CAAHOF in 2016, making her the first Lavallee-era gymnast to earn such enshrinement.
Ho replaces her former UC Davis teammate Carolyn Kampf, who served on the Aggie coaching staff for 12 years and earned three MPSF Assistant Coach of the Year awards.
ABOUT UC DAVIS:
With the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, more than 700 student-athletes represent the fifth-ranked public school in the nation on one of 25 intercollegiate athletics teams.
UC Davis, a national leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, is centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley; and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.
Ranked annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.
