Army West Point Athletics
Jake Bonnay Joins the Gymnastics Staff as an Assistant Coach
September 03, 2024 | Men's Gymnastics
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Head coach JD Reive announced the addition of Jake Bonnay to the Army West Point Gymnastics staff on Tuesday afternoon.
Bonnay comes to West Point after serving as the assistant coach for the Division III Greenville University Panthers for two years.
"I am very excited about adding Jake to the staff," said Reive. "He is an accomplished athlete with an impactful coaching resume. His passion for the sport, his inherent understanding of proper teaching, and his desire to win will be an immediate asset to our Cadet-Athletes."
At Greenville, Bonnay was tasked with building a new program from the ground up. He focused on fostering a culture dedicated to continuous improvement and prioritizing consistency over intensity.
During his tenure, Bonnay played a pivotal role in leading a team composed mostly of underclassmen to the NCAA Championships for the first time in 2024. This achievement made them only the second Division III team to reach the NCAA Championships, following Springfield College in 2022 and 2023.
The Panthers finished 11th at the NCAA Championships, tying the record for the highest finish ever by a Division III team in NCAA history. After a 5th place finish in their inaugural season in the ECAC in 2023, the Panthers improved to 2nd place the following year, only behind the Navy Midshipmen, who had won the previous five conference titles.
"Receiving the opportunity to coach for the Black Knights under Head Coach, JD Reive, is not one that I take lightly," Bonnay exclaims. "Coach Reive & I have a history of being part of programs that continue to rise in the ranks, and we have our full focus on continuing that tradition here at Army. I believe that my passion and dedication paired with the knowledge and experience from Coach Giglio and Coach Reives set the program up to achieve great things for many years to come. Go Army, Beat Navy!"
During his first two years as a coach, Bonnay mentored three individual conference champions, two CGA regular-season All-Americans, one USAG National Champion, six USAG All-Americans, and four NCAA Finalists.
Bonnay's success earned him the title of Co-Assistant Coach of the Year in the ECAC and CGA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in 2024, recognizing his contributions to one of the youngest NCAA programs in 60 years.
As a student-athlete, Bonnay attended the University of Nebraska, where he served as captain in his later years and competed from 2016 to 2022. He excelled as an All-Arounder, with Floor Exercise and High Bar as his specialties. Bonnay earned four All-American honors, two B1G silver medals, and over ten Floor Exercise titles, ranking third all-time in Husker history.
He was instrumental in helping Nebraska achieve its highest-ever finish in the B1G conference (2nd) in 2021 and 2022, and in securing five consecutive NCAA team finals appearances, with three finishes in the top four—the best in two decades for the Huskers. Additionally, Bonnay was a member of the Canadian National Team (2014–2016, 2018–2022), a World University Games Pommel Horse finalist, and an Elite Canada National Champion on Floor Exercise. In 2020, he was named a Nissen-Emery Finalist, an award given to the nation's most outstanding senior collegiate gymnast.
Academically, Bonnay was a B1G Distinguished Scholar multiple times during his collegiate career. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a master's degree with honors in Journalism and Mass Communication, specializing in integrated media communications.
Bonnay and his wife, Megan, reside in New Windsor, N.Y., with their two golden retrievers, Maui and Maple.