Maile'ana Kanewa-Hermelyn

Biography

Maile'ana Kanewa-Hermelyn was announced as the head coach of the Michigan women’s gymnastics team on July 16, 2025, after spending seven total seasons with the coaching staff – six as a full-time assistant (2020-2025) and one as a volunteer assistant coach (2019). Kanewa-Hermelyn becomes the seventh head coach in Michigan program history, dating back to 1976, and assumes full control of the U-M women’s gymnastics program following the retirement of 36-year head coach Bev Plocki. Kanewa-Hermelyn was the WCGA Assistant Coach of the Year along with Scott Sherman and Lexi Funk following the Wolverines national title in 2021 and is a three-time Regional Assistant Coach of the Year with her first coming in the 2020 season. During her tenure, Michigan earned its first-ever national title in the 2021 season and has won three Big Ten Championships and four Big Ten regular season titles. Kanewa-Hermelyn helped coach the Wolverines to their 27th Big Ten Title in the 2023 campaign and earn six scores of 198+. On the beam, Kanewa-Hermelyn led the Wolverines to a program record 49.625 against both Nebraska and Minnesota and was an integral part of Michigan's six weeks ranking No. 1 nationally on floor after choreographing Michigan's routines. In 2024, Kanewa-Hermelyn's beam team ranked as high as sixth nationally, while she helped the Wolverines floor squad to a No. 4 ranking and the vault to a No. 23 ranking. During the 2025 season, sophomore Kayli Boozer was the College Gym News Breakthr