Boom! Another year, another dominant season for the Oklahoma Sooners. Fans of NCAA gymnastics already know—the Oklahoma Sooners write new entries in the records while they continue taking victories. The Oklahoma Sooners scored a record-breaking 198.950 at the Big 12 Championships during the last year, making it the highest NCAA history mark. Five perfect 10s. Three different athletes. Absolutely. Perfection. And at the heart of it all? K.J. Kindler.
K.J. Kindler’s journey into gymnastics was no accident. Born on June 26, 1970, in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, her entry into gymnastics was kind of a destiny. As a youth gymnast, she performed floor flips while on the way to becoming one of the most respected athletic coaches in her field. Behind her stands someone who has consistently supported her from the beginning until now.
Who is K.J. Kindler’s husband?
As an elite NCAA gymnastics coach, K.J. Kindler requires reliable support to maintain her status as the best in her field. During her two consecutive NCAA championship runs in 2022 and 2023, Oklahoma Sooners supporters envisioned a remarkable three-time victory. LSU upset Oklahoma’s championship-winning plans in 2024 when they won their inaugural NCAA Championship, concluding Oklahoma’s historic winning run.
Throughout her life and career, Kindler has maintained constant support from her husband, Lou Ball, who serves as her assistant coach and husband. Now, Lou Ball isn’t just K.J.’s biggest supporter—he’s an integral part of Oklahoma’s success. He remains in his 19th season with the Oklahoma Sooners, where he serves as their mastermind coach for vaults and uneven bars.
The award-winning National Assistant Coach of the Year has brought six championships along with 11 top-three finishes to Oklahoma as he collects his third National Assistant Coach of the Year title. Through his expertise, Ball has guided numerous future All-American and national champion athletes together with record-breaking competitors.
Ball’s vault and bars squads secured a nationwide event title position as well as 27 first-place finishes during the 2024 season. During the campaign, his work produced All-American distinctions for four Sooners in both vault (one) and bars (three). Audrey Davis achieved Oklahoma’s fourth uneven bars national championship and the team’s first victory in this event since 2018.
The Kindlers’ story represents much more than achievement numbers because they built their success through strong partnerships alongside their deep love for the entertainment business.
When did K.J. Kindler get married?
The story of K.J. and Lou started long before they were leading one of the most dominant programs in college gymnastics. The two first crossed paths at Iowa State, where Kindler was building her coaching career and Ball was making a name for himself in the gymnastics world. Their connection wasn’t just professional—it was a bond built on their shared love for the sport.
When Kindler got the call from Oklahoma to take over as head coach, she had one condition: Lou Ball had to come with her. By then, they had already tied the knot, and together, they took on the challenge of turning Oklahoma into a gymnastics powerhouse. And they did just that. Five club gymnasts trained by Ball and K.J. Kindler have successfully continued their sport at the NCAA competitions.
Ball kept eight gymnasts at Level 10 USA Nationals over eight different years while his teams won every Iowa state championship division from Level 8 and Level 9 through Level 10. He received the Iowa USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year title twice, during 1999 and 2001. During his work at Cahoy’s Gymnastics School in Omaha, Nebraska, he coached athletes toward USA Nationals for three years.
Ball dedicated his athletic career as an undergraduate gymnast specializing in vaults and floor exercises at the University of Nebraska from 1990 to 1993. He earned an NCAA Vault Final spot during his 1992 season while his Nebraska Cornhusker team secured second-place positions at the 1992 and 1993 NCAA Championships.
The union between Ball and his wife, K.J. Kindler, who coaches at OU, led them to establish their household in Norman. Since their marriage, they have welcomed daughters Maggie and Adelade to their family.
Does K.J. Kindler have kids?
Athletics runs deep in K.J. Kindler’s family. It was predictable that she, along with her four siblings, would pursue sports because her father was a wrestler. Her younger sister Lori and Lori’s husband Bart serve as owners of Flips Gymnastics, which operates as a prominent gymnastics club in Maplewood, Minnesota. Being an Iowa State alum, Kindler spent numerous years competing against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
And now her daughter Maggie Ball will represent the same team against which she persevered during past competitive years. The upcoming situation brings nothing but excitement for Maggie.“ It has always been my dream since I was a little girl to compete as a college gymnast. If you told me a year ago I would be able to fulfill that dream, I’m not sure if I would have believed you,” she shared on social media.
The combination of her commitment and her hard labor won her a spot on her dream college gymnastics team. With that, fans can’t help but wonder—when Iowa and Oklahoma cross paths, will K.J. Kindler be cheering from the Sooners’ side, or will she be supporting her daughter?
The post Who Is K.J. Kindler’s Husband Lou? All You Need to Know About the Gymnastics Coach’s Right-Hand Man appeared first on EssentiallySports.
