Oregon acrobatics and tumbling announced the hiring of former Duck Keenyn Won as the new head coach on Thursday, following the surprise firing of Chelsea Shaw after Oregon’s third national championship defeat in as many years.

After graduating from the university in 2012, Won, an Oahu native, helped establish Hawaii Pacific’s program and served as head coach of the program since 2014. She possessed a 17-14-0 record while at HPU and led the Sharks to back-to-back NCATA semifinal appearances in 2015 and 2016.

Won, who was on the Oregon team when it formed in 2010, helped the Ducks win their first two national titles in 2011 and 2012, while also picking up five individual national titles during her three years in the program.

“Coming back to the University of Oregon to coach the sport I love is a surreal feeling,” Won said in a press release. “Oregon Athletics provides several amazing opportunities for our student-athletes on and off the mat, and I can’t wait to be a part of that.  I am beyond excited to continue our traditions at Oregon while building a strong, family oriented culture. We have big goals in mind for this team, and I know together with the support of the Duck community we will be able to achieve great things.”

The Ducks surprise firing of Chelsea Shaw was met with some confusion among fans after the announcement. Shaw, who was also a program alumna, helped the Ducks get to three national championships, but each time the team lost to Baylor.

“We are excited to welcome Keenyn back to UO,” athletic director Rob Mullens said in a press release. “She has distinguished herself as a proven leader in acrobatics and tumbling, and her commitment to the student-athlete experience matches our values. Oregon acro has a bright future ahead with Keenyn leading the program.”

Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow

The post Keenyn Won named acrobatics and tumbling’s new head coach appeared first on Emerald Media.