Former UA Gymnastics Coach Lands New Gig With Tuscaloosa Company

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Former University of Alabama gymnastics coach Dana Duckworth has been hired as the vice president of supply chain solutions for AFFLINK, the Tuscaloosa-based company announced on Wednesday.

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AFFLINK President & CEO Dennis Riffer said Duckworth's first day on the job will be Aug. 12, with her new role focusing on leveraging relationships within the supplier/distributor community to foster growth among new and existing B2B [Business-to-Business] customers.

"For me, it's a blessing to join AFFLINK and work for a subsidiary of a Fortune 500 company, Performance Food Group (PFGC),” Duckworth said. "It is an exciting time to be a part of AFFLINK. The company is expanding tremendously, and I look forward to joining such a successful organization.”

As Patch previously reported, Duckworth resigned from the UA gymnastics program in May after eight seasons. After being named successor to coaching legend Sarah Patterson, Duckworth is one of only two Alabama gymnastics head coaches since 1979.

She said at the time that the decision to resign was made in order to focus more on her family.

Over more than two decades on the Crimson Tide coaching staff, serving as head coach, assistant coach and volunteer assistant coach under Patterson, Duckworth was part of three NCAA team championships, six Southeastern Conference championships and 17 NCAA regional team championships.

AFFLINK also touted Duckworth's professional experience, which includes working in pharmaceutical sales for Pfizer, director of marketing at Southern Comfort Conversions and vice president of business solutions at MCM Technology.

"Dana's passion, mindset, and positivity, along with a fresh perspective from her recent career as an NCAA Division 1 Head Gymnastics Coach, will positively impact AFFLINK's next chapter of growth and success," Riffer said. "We are all strong believers that Dana's competitive mindset that led her to become a 2x NCAA Balance Beam Champion and her head coaching experience are more than transferable to our business.”

In addition to her experience and accolades, Duckworth also serves on the Board of Directors for the Tuscaloosa Safe Center — a counseling service for victims of sexual assault.

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