The Hall of Fame Coach Who Shaped Champions Joins Us for His First Long-Form Interview
When Kevin Mazeika sits down with us on Tuesday, February 17th, it will mark the first time the legendary coach has done a long-form podcast interview. For GymnasticsVille, this episode is personal.
I trained under Kevin in Houston from 1999 to 2003. My brother Taqiy—who co-hosts this podcast—trained with him from 2000 to 2004, competing at the 2004 Olympic Trials with Kevin as his coach. Kevin didn’t just teach us gymnastics. He shaped how we think about the sport, competition, and what it takes to reach the highest levels.
Now, more than two decades into his coaching career, Kevin continues to produce champions. And we finally get to have this conversation.
Who Is Kevin Mazeika?
For those unfamiliar with his résumé, Kevin Mazeika is one of the most accomplished coaches in American gymnastics history.
The Credentials:
- USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame, Class of 2010
- Three-time U.S. Olympic Men’s Team Head Coach (2004, 2008, 2012)
- Led the U.S. men to back-to-back Olympic team medals—silver in 2004, bronze in 2008—the first time in history
- The 2004 silver was the first men’s team medal in a non-boycotted Olympics since 1932
- Head coach at four World Championships (2001, 2003, 2007, 2011), earning team silver medals in 2001 and 2003
- U.S. Men’s National Team Coordinator from 2009 to 2016
- Personally coached Olympians Raj Bhavsar (2008) and Sean Townsend (2000), as well as 2001 World parallel bars champion Townsend
Kevin began coaching in 1984 after competing at Southern Illinois University. He served on the National Team Coaching Staff since 1988, coaching at more than 35 international competitions.
EVO Gymnastics: The Current Chapter
Today, Kevin serves as Executive Director of EVO Gymnastics in Sarasota, Florida—a 40,000-square-foot world-class training center that has become a hub for elite men’s gymnastics.
The results speak for themselves.
At the 2025 World Championships in Jakarta, two EVO gymnasts won gold medals:
- Brody Malone – High Bar World Champion
- Donnell Whittenburg – Still Rings World Champion (the first American man to ever win World gold on rings)
EVO is also home to Olympic medalists Stephen Nedoroscik (the “Pommel Horse Guy” who became a cultural phenomenon after Paris) and Brody Malone, along with Olympic alternate Shane Wiskus and a pipeline of rising junior national team members.
Kevin is still building champions—and still evolving.
A Personal Connection
This interview means something to me beyond the podcast.
After training with Kevin in Houston, I went on to compete at the University of Oklahoma, where I was part of the 2005 NCAA Championship team. Taqiy joined me at OU and became a three-time NCAA Champion (2005, 2006, 2008) and the 2007 NCAA All-Around Champion.
The foundation Kevin built in us carried through our entire careers.
When I called Kevin to discuss this interview, he shared stories from those Olympic years—insights into the mindset of those winning teams that I’d never heard before. That’s the conversation we want to bring to you.
What to Expect
This will be a deep dive into Kevin’s career, philosophy, and the lessons he’s learned across four decades in the sport.
We’ll explore:
- The journey from competing at Southern Illinois to becoming a three-time Olympic head coach
- Building championship culture and what separates good programs from great ones
- Developing elite athletes across multiple generations—from Sean Townsend to Brody Malone
- EVO Gymnastics and what he’s building in Sarasota
- The road to 2028 and what’s next for U.S. men’s gymnastics
This is a conversation 20+ years in the making.
Episode Details
Guest: Kevin Mazeika
Recording Date: Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Episode Release: Late February 2026
Follow @GymnasticsVille on Instagram for updates, behind-the-scenes content, and clips from the interview.
Haven’t listened to Episode 1 yet? Check out our conversation with Olympian Yul Moldauer on his comeback journey—available now wherever you get your podcasts.
GymnasticsVille Podcast — Real conversations from inside the gym.
