Chris Waller, a Bruin assistant gymnastics coach since 2003, has been promoted to assistant head coach, coach Valerie Kondos Field announced Friday. As a gymnast, Waller has had an incredibly successful career and has competed and coached on almost every level.
As a student-athlete at UCLA, Waller won three national titles (team in 1987, pommel horse in 1989 and high bar in 1990).
His professional career was nothing short of spectacular, including an all-around U.S. Championship in 1991 and coming within one-tenth of winning the gold medal in the pommel horse at the 1992 Olympic Games. For his accomplishments, Waller was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2003.
His coaching career has been just as exciting, leading the Bruins to two NCAA titles in his first two years and receiving the National Assistant Coach of the Year honor in 2004.
Seven Bruin gymnasts have received NCAA individual titles since he joined the coaching staff, including Bruin great Mohini Bhardwaj. Under Waller, Bhardwaj went on to be captain of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team.
UCLA gymnastics finished fourth in the NCAA Championships this year, behind Georgia, Utah and Florida, respectively.
VOLLEYBALL RECRUIT COMMITS: Last week, high school volleyball standout Weston Dunlap signed his letter of intent to attend UCLA in the fall. Dunlap, currently a senior at Newport Harbor High School in Orange County, was one of UCLA’s top volleyball recruits. According to coach Al Scates, he could be a potential starter and immediate contributor next year. He led the Sailors in kills and blocks this season and was last year’s MVP of the Orange County Championships Tournament.
His active three-year involvement in volleyball and basketball earned him a total of six varsity letters. As a club athlete for the Balboa Bay Club, he won bronze medals at the last two Junior Olympics and was named to the Junior Olympic All-Tournament Team the last two years.
Dunlap will join six other volleyball recruits, four of which are from Southern California and two from Illinois.
Compiled by Allister Wenzel, Bruin Sports senior staff.