While Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has made headlines for his rapid rise through the NBA coaching ranks, the woman beside him, Ashley Kerr, has been building a coaching legacy of her own in championship-level gymnastics.
Far from being just the coach’s wife, Kerr is a force in collegiate athletics and a key figure behind the scenes of one of the NBA‘s most promising young coaching families.
Born in 1988 in Plant City, Florida, Kerr established herself early on as a standout both in the classroom and on the balance beam. She attended the University of Florida, where she competed as a collegiate gymnast from 2007 to 2010.
Throughout her time with the Gators, Kerr earned multiple All-SEC Academic honors, served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and in 2010, received the university’s Outstanding Leadership Award. Her dedication to both athletics and academics laid the groundwork for what would become a prominent coaching career.
After completing her undergraduate studies in business, she went on to earn master’s degrees in sports management and telecommunications further preparing herself for a leadership role in sports.
From Florida standout to national champion at Oklahoma
Kerr‘s coaching path began at her alma mater, where she started as a student manager in 2011. After several years gaining experience on the sideline, she eventually followed Daigneault to Oklahoma, where he had taken a coaching role with the Thunder’s G-League affiliate.
The couple managed a long-distance relationship for some time, but Kerr eventually moved to Norman, Oklahoma, and became a vital part of the University of Oklahoma‘s women’s gymnastics staff.
Initially serving as a volunteer assistant coach, Kerr was officially added to the Sooners’ staff following 2023 NCAA rule changes allowing expanded coaching roles. Her impact was immediate and impressive. During her tenure, Oklahoma consistently ranked among the nation’s top teams on the balance beam and captured NCAA national titles in 2018, 2019, and 2024.
“She has a way of connecting with our student-athletes on a personal level and is an exceptional leader,” head coach K.J. Kindler said of Kerr’s influence.
Her ability to bond with athletes while maintaining elite performance standards has made her a standout in a sport that values both technical precision and emotional resilience.
Off the mat, Kerr and Daigneault married in 2019, and their family has since grown. The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Alex John “AJ” Daigneault, in November 2021. Their daughter, Stella, followed on April 15, 2023.
Read the full article here
