PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers gymnastics head coach Umme Salim-Beasley has announced the hiring of Anastasia Halbig and Michael Rosso as assistant coaches. Both RU graduates, the duo was previously on Salim-Beasley's staff at Temple and helped establish the top 10 team scores in program history, including the high-water mark of 196.050 in 2018.
 
While each will provide input into all events, Halbig primarily will focus on balance beam, while Rosso oversees vault and floor exercise. Salim-Beasley will work with uneven bars, an event in which she helped four Scarlet Knights earn all-conference status as an assistant in 2014.
 
"I am really excited that Tasia and Michael are coming back to Rutgers," Salim-Beasley said. "We have an amazing working relationship, understand each other and are on the same page to make the best decisions for the program. I can honestly say that I wouldn't be the coach that I am without the support of these wonderful assistant coaches. Together we look forward to hitting the ground running."
 
Anastasia Halbig
Halbig, a four-year letterwinner across three events for the Scarlet Knights from 2012-15, played a key role to numerous successes such as the program's highest team score set in her senior season. During that record-setting meet she earned a new career high of 9.875 on balance beam. Also in 2014, Halbig was named the most improved gymnast of the year during her junior season for showing the most growth and reaching three career bests overall. Halbig wrapped up her career at the Big Ten Championships at Michigan posting a 9.800 on the balance beam.
 
"It is a surreal and amazing feeling to be back at my alma mater as an assistant coach," Halbig said. "I loved my experience here as a student-athlete, and I am thrilled to be back with my Rutgers Athletics family in a new role. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue coaching with someone as experienced and passionate about the sport as Umme. I am excited and ready to help this team reach the potential that I know we are fully capable of and be a part of a new era of record-breaking seasons!"
 
Halbig spent three seasons on Salim-Beasley's staff at Temple after being hired as a graduate assistant coach. During that time, she specialized in balance beam technique and skill. The group tied the school record on the event in 2018 with a 49.050 and saw one gymnast earn first team all-conference and two claim spots on the second team.
 
In addition, Halbig ensured the academic success of the student-athletes, improving the team GPA from 3.07 to 3.38 over three years. Originally from Pipersville, Pennsylvania, Halbig earned her undergraduate degree from Rutgers as a psychology major and achieved a Master's degree from Temple in counseling psychology. She is in her second year working towards a doctorate degree in sport psychology at Temple, earning an academic grant this summer to work with collegiate student-athletes on preventing burnout in sport.
 
"Tasia has really been someone that I've seen develop tremendously from her being a student-athlete here during my first year as an assistant," Salim-Beasley said. "Her knowledge of gymnastics and the application to coaching has really flourished. We had a great coach-athlete relationship and that made it easy to hire her as a graduate assistant at Temple. She put in the work to make our beam workers very competitive and confident. Now she is back at her alma mater and coaching the event she loves so much. I'm really excited she is continuing this journey with me."
 
Michael Rosso
A 2015 Rutgers graduate, Rosso returns after working on the Temple staff for three seasons. Helping to elevate the team RQS from 190.930 to 195.015 over that span, he coached two conference event champions in Briana Odom (2016, floor) and Daisy Todd (2018, vault).
 
In 2018, the Owls sent two vault specialists to NCAA Regionals for the first time in program history after having a representative in 2017 for the first time since 2009. Rosso mentored five first team all-conference performers and three second team athletes between vault and floor this past season. The team established new event score records under Rosso's watch, posting a 49.300 on floor and a 49.125 on vault. That was part of raising the RQS from over four years, bringing the vault mark from 47.995 to 48.890 and the floor number from 48.200 to 49.015.
 
"I would like to thank head coach Umme Salim-Beasley, Senior Associate Athletic Director Ryan Pisarri and Athletic Director Pat Hobbs for the amazing opportunity to work at such a prestigious university in the Big Ten Conference," Rosso said. "I am beyond excited to help these student-athletes reach their full potential in the gym, in the classroom and in the community. As a Rutgers alumnus, I am thrilled to be back 'On the Banks!'"
 
While studying communications at Rutgers, Rosso was a student assistant coach for the women's gymnastics team for two years. His responsibilities included equipment management and set up, gymnastics drill set up and hands-on spotting on all four events. During his time, Rutgers gymnastics saw its first NCAA regional appearance since 2007 and recorded six of the top 10 highest team scores in program history, including the current record score of 196.225.

Rosso was a gymnast at Surgents Elite School of Gymnastics in Roselle Park, New Jersey, where he was a five-time junior Olympic national qualifier. He is originally from Marlboro, New Jersey. His brother, Ralph, is an assistant coach for the University of Washington women's gymnastics team.
 
"I knew Mike had the potential to be a successful coach right away," Salim-Beasley said. "His desire and passion for the sport were evident, helping develop our vault and floor teams at Temple. He understands what our athletes are capable of and has the ability to build their confidence to try new things. Mike is going to do amazing things here."
 
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