Bob Starkell has resigned as University of Illinois Director of Gymnastics. Starkell had been the Head Coach of the Fighting Illini women for the past 11 years and spent a total of 17 years on the Illini staff. He also served as Director of Gymnastics, overseeing both the men's and women's programs during the 2009-10 academic year, so this will affect both programs. 

Kim Landrus, who has been on staff for the last eight years, including the last four years as associate head coach, has been named the interim head coach for the 2010-11 season. Landrus and current Illini assistant Amy Kruse were named co-National Assistant Coaches of the Year in 2009.

According to the Fightingillini.com press release, a search will begin immediately for an assistant coach to join Landrus and Kruse on staff.

This is just the most recent of the shakeups that have gone in in NCAA gymnastics this summer. Here's a quick rundown on the recent coaching flip flops:

   -  Steve Shephard starting things off by resigning from his women's head coaching position at Penn State.
   -  Jeff and Rachelle Thompson made the move from Auburn to Penn State.
   -  University of Utah assistant Jeff Graba was hired as Head Coach at Auburn.
   -  University of Arkansas assistant Tom Farden was hired to replace Graba at Utah

Men's NCAA gymnastics has seen a few shakeups this summer as well:
   -  Barry Wiener and Aaron Floyd have resigned at Cal Berkeley in light of the possible demise of the gymnastics program. The future of the program is still uncertain - click here to read more and help out! - Tim McNeill has applied for the coaching position if the program is to remain. 
   -  Stanford Assistant coach JD Reive replaces former Iowa Head Coach Tom Dunn, who retired at the end of the 2010 season.
   -  Former Olympian Brett McClure replaces JD Reive
   -  University of Illinois-Chicago assistant Charley Nelson was promoted to the position of head men's gymnastics coach upon the retirement of CJ Johnson.


I'll keep you updated as the new hires happen at Arkansas and Illinois. Many schools around the country have already begun classes, so these programs will need to fill the positions very soon.