Carlos Vazquez

Biography

Vazquez enters his 13th season with the Nittany Lions in 2025 after spending 20 years as the head coach of the men's program at Capital Gymnastics National Training Center in Burke, Va. During Vazquez’s time in Happy Valley, Penn State has earned five individual NCAA titles, 43 All-American awards, two Big Ten Championship titles, 13 Big Ten individual titles and, most recently, a Big Ten regular season title. In the 2025 season, Vazquez was honored as a Central Region Assistant Coach of the year, and the 2025 College Gymnastics Association's Honor Coach Award, which is the highest coaching honor in all of collegiate men's gymnastics. He helped the team to a fifth-place finish at the NC Championships, the programs best finish in nine seasons. He played a crucial role in developing Josh Karnes, who clinched his second Big Ten individual title, this time on the parallel bars. In 2024, Vazquez helped coach 2024 Big Ten High Bar Champion Michael Jaroh. The senior was the first Nittany Lion to earn the gold medal in the event since 2016. Josh Karnes took bronze on parallel bars and fifth on the all-around to take All-America honors. Karnes competed at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. In addition to his 29 years on collegiate coaching staffs, Vazquez has served as a U.S. Junior National Team coach since 1992, including serving as an assistant coach for the Junior Pan American Championships in Sao Palo, Brazil in 1992. Among the gymnasts under Vazquez's tutelage were 2008 Olympian Just