The only people on that list who I think may be the head coach are the Griffeths or Ryan Roberts. However, if they’re interested in Roberts, it seems odd to have terminated him (as the rumors go) rather than make him an interim head coach.
Jay Clark being listed as “the top target” is almost laughable. They dumped him when they thought he wasn’t good enough but now, after he made it to the top because another school gave him the chance, they think he may come back? Please! I can see everyone else on the list taking the call and at least listening. I would be surprised if he even did that.
Georgia always seems to have a weird level of overconfidence in their own appeal based on a win streak from 15 years ago. 2010 Georgia? Sure, this list is reasonable. Now? It's like the HS Quarterback who hasn't done much in 15 years being confused when "I won a state championship in 2009" doesn't get him anywhere with women.
They did this when they fired Jay and Danna and just assumed people were going to line up to take those jobs. Didn't happen then and I would be surprised if it does now.
Their best bet is the Griffeiths or the Lindenwood coach. The Griffeiths are probably at the top of the list for any open position now and they also have a hell of a lot of job security at LSU at the moment. I suspect its theirs if they want it or if they want to ride it out at LSU and wait for a better offer, they can probably do that too. Financially, Georgia will probably give them whatever they want but whether Georgia is what they want is the real question.
>if they want to ride it out at LSU and wait for a better offer, they can probably do that too.
In terms of head coaching opportunities, there wouldn't be many better than this one. Georgia may be at the bottom of the SEC right now but the amount of money and resources that athletic department has can't be matched by most schools. Plus the legacy of being a school thats been dominant before is a huge pull for many.
Even with a bad coach, they still raked in donor money and got many top recruits. They just didn't have a coach who could get the best out of them. Put someone half decent at the job and they will overtake multiple SEC schools very quickly.
Yeah, I have no idea what the Griffeths are looking for, but I could see the UGA job being attractive to them. They’re alums, and CKC has taken UGA so low in terms of results that they would literally just need to get UGA back to being competitive in the SEC and Nationals (literally just making it there) to be an improvement. And UGA actually has a good roster. Being competitive shouldn’t be *that* difficult for a competent coach, especially with the current state of NCAA scoring.
Also, looking at other top programs, most coaches seem pretty entrenched and not close to retirement, and/or the coaches are pretty new and unlikely to be fired soon. So, unless I’m overlooking something, this could be one of the better HC openings for a while.
I would be extremely surprised if Jay and Jordyn went to UGA. For Jay, it doesn’t make sense. LSU has the best facility in the country, his team just won a national championship and LSU already has great recruits in the coming years. I don’t see him leaving that for the college that kicked him out two seconds after becoming head coach. For Jordyn I think she’s found her groove with Arkansas and would rather explore growing that program than leaving for Georgia. As for the Howells, I could see why Georgia would be an attractive option. On one hand, they’ve dedicated a lot to Cal and it would suck to build them up to a national championship level team just to leave, but on the other hand the PAC-12 dissolution has a lot of worrying implications for its teams and Georgia has a better facility to work with. I think McCool-Griffith is the most solid option, a Georgia alum, but with a great resume of significant coaching experience built at some of the best teams in the nation.
Jay would be crazy for even considering it, not even for fingerpointing and that could be your schools title. Why go somewhere they kicked you after such a short time. Rebuilding a program takes time and that was something Georgia was not willing to give last time..
Exactly. This wasn’t even a case of him getting fired as part of a coaching change - like if they had hired someone else to replace Suzanne, and he wasn’t retained. He was treated pretty terribly after being a long-term UGA coach and wasn’t even given a full 4 years to get his footing. As you said, the only outreach to him should be a congratulations for the LSU championship.
And to be clear, I am *not* a Jay Clark fan. I guess he could take this offer as additional support to ask for a fat raise (on top of the bonus he has earned this year)
I don’t see why any of the head coaches they mentioned would be interested. Jay seems to adore his athletes, he just won’t nattys, has an amazing incoming class for the next few years, a school that seems to value the team, an amazing facility, etc.
The Howell’s are building an incredible program at Berkeley. They are SO close to winning a natty (and if I were them, I couldn’t imagine walking away from that. Plus, If they like the Bay area culture, I can’t see them enjoying Georgia’s culture at all.
Jordyn got her team to nationals for the first time, and she’s got amazing recruits coming in. Arkansas seems like it’s really on people’s radar.
I know that georgia used to be incredibly strong, but at this point they’re no where near the caliber of the other SEC school. I feel like it would be a step down for any of the coaches mentioned. I could see an assistant coach going there for the opportunity to be head coach, or someone at a smaller program who wants the opportunity to be at an SEC school. I wouldn’t even be shocked to see the lindenwood coach head there - she’ll be looking for a job and clearly did a great job with that program. Or maybe someone like Waller who is a bit out of the limelight…Alternatively, maybe they’d try to pull a really strong L10 coach?
Except Arkansas doesn’t have the insane expectations of their boosters expecting a new HC to take them to nationals in their first year. In their press release they mentioned chasing SEC champs, which is insane knowing OU is joining the SEC next season.
Any HC with a brain is staying far away from Georgia. There’s a reason they could only get CKC after they fired Jay and Danna.
But honestly in this situation, it doesn’t. Their pattern of behavior of the school to their coaches is clear: don’t win, get fired. Why leave a stable job with lower expectations that you can build at your own pace for an extremely high stress, high risk job that you will likely be fired from 2-3 years later? The money isn’t a draw anymore when you know it’s not a long-term opportunity.
I would’ve agreed with this pre-CKC, but I really don’t think it’s the case after her tenure. Most people (myself included) have been shocked at how long she lasted with such poor results. UGA has been passed by every other SEC program in terms of results, while having comparable rosters to several teams. I think UGA has come back down to earth, and as long as the new HC is improving, I don’t see them being on the hot seat.
Georgia did prematurely run Clark off, but they also gave CKC seven seasons to try to prove herself even when her results weren’t great. Durante was around for five years, and I’m not sure she got fired for her results or that weird thing where she kicked all the walk-ons off the team and cancelled the banquet. It was probably a combo of the two.
Georgia’s been more patient in recent years with their coaches, and I’m sure they would give the new coach more time than they did Clark. Honestly, it’s not like CKC was lighting the world on fire. That Georgia roster has potential and a halfway decent coach should be able improve on her results.
I have to believe if CKC wasn't one of the best UGA gymnasts of all time her tenure would have been 4-5 years shorter though. So for someone to come in with zero tie to UGA, you'd think they wouldn't be given as much grace
I think they also gave her more time because Covid upended everything and she had two really strong recruiting classes in the queue. It also helped them because it's gotten rid of the 'firing to quickly' narrative.
Noones come out and said anything aside from one dropped recruit but there have always been murmurs about athletes having issues with Durante. And her results at UNC have been surprising given that they've landed some decent recruits.
I forgot about the Covid window, clearly time will do that to you 😅 but a very good point. Though Victoria Nguyen has heavily implied things were not great
Clark landed in 3rd at SECs every year but never made Super 6. Durante made super 6 3 times but was never a threat in the SEC- and the year she ran out of Clarks recruits they dropped to 12th.
CKC inherited a very disjointed roster from Durante. And a lot of injured athletes/recruits. TBH I now wonder if other coaches didn't see that dilemma coming and steer clear.
CKC’s best years at Georgia were with the Durante gymnasts though. They were also with Suzanne there to steer the ship, so that might have been what was making the difference. They made nationals CKC’s first two years, and it wasn’t until Suzanne and Durante’s recruits left that things started falling off a cliff.
CKC had Durante recruits incoming for at least 3 years- and lost a couple of big ones to other schools. I'm not sure if she would have been wise to drop some of the offers or look for transfers. What she did instead was mass recruiting of the athletes available late in process in her second year- and these athletes and commits/flips for 2020 ended up also being an injured lot. I think Weiber made a better strategic choice going after transfers from the start and finding healthy solid athletes instead of chasing down former elites who had question marks. I think this was likely a product of Suzanne's presence and the way Suzanne/Jay ran UGA when elites were gold. I really do think a couple of years elsewhere would have helped CKC. Her experiences in elite and college were really at the tip of the top- athletes like her, Tolnay and Heenan who might be injured but could gut it out to put up 39.6s at will. They were complete outliers but I that was what she knew.
I actually read somewhere that she wasn't working in coaching when she took the job. I don't remember where I read that but did they recruit a coach or her name for the boosters 🤔? If she then got the injured and the rest building a decent team takes time. I heard Jay is a golden recruiter, so if Durante isn't similar talented she might run out of the most talent and injure or overtrain the rest?? To be fair maybe the injuries were not her fault 🤷
Jay has always been a top recruiter except a lag during the Yoculan retirement tour. His first year at LSU was also the most wildly underperforming (and injured) group he recruited. Just all around bad luck with existing gymnasts injured and a dud class.
Not sure on the first sentence but CKC was a commentator for SEC and maybe ESPN who also worked briefly in a club gym when they made the hire. A lot of people took note of that. For comparison Weiber had been the student coach at UCLA for 4 or 5 years. Strangely she probably also walked into a better roster since they were at least healthy.
I am also certain that Jay for example isn't so young anymore, mid-fiftyish maybe🤔? The Griffiths could be the successors at LSU and they probably will be if they stay.
Just to be clear I am not trying him to retire but like he took over from DD and worked with her for years the Griffiths might do the same. LSU has great facilities, they were part of the team that won Nationals, LSU has money and that means more possibilities 🤷🤷.
I would’ve guessed that Jay is looking at another 15 years or so, but if it’s more in the 5-year range, then I do think it’s much more likely that they stay in Baton Rouge.
With that said, I actually think taking over after Jay, an ace recruiter and the first coach to win a championship at LSU, will be a *much* more pressure-filled position than taking over at UGA right now would be. I don’t expect the AD would be as unreasonable as UGA was with Jay (I would hope all programs learned something from that screw up), but generally speaking, LSU likes winning just as much as UGA does. Jay is such a good recruiter that he’ll always have a roster that can win a championships, but who knows the extent that it lasts once he’s gone.
Honestly the only pull for Cals coaches might be the facilities and I doubt it. They work well with their program and isn't the culture much more conservative at Georgia? I could see a move from Georgia to LSU or the other way around not that Jay would do that. It is disrespectful at least in my opinion to even try to recruit Jay after they kicked him to the curb after so many years. They can send him a congrats and sorry we were stupid card...
I don’t see the Howells going to UGA, but the impending implosion of the ACC has to have any coach at the “less desirable” ACC schools concerned. Cal and Stanford were nearly left out during last year’s realignment, and of the current ACC schools, neither Cal or Stanford are considered likely to end up in the BIG or SEC (where most schools want to be).
Also, the culture is more conservative at Georgia than Cal for sure. However, Athens itself is not that conservative. It’s a blue college town. If they’re progressives, they wouldn’t have trouble finding people with similar views at all, but overall, yeah, it’s a different vibe than the Bay Area.
If the Griffeths do go, I think it's a decision based on sentimentality not what is the smart decision for them. They've got a really good situation where they are, Garrett is being paid the same salary as CKC. I think LSU will be prepared to throw more money at them, promote Garrett to associate head coach, a few years down the line I see Jay making him co-head coach for a bit to prepare the transition. They seem really loyal to Jay. They've also hopped around a fair amount, but despite all the open positions over the years haven't gone near Georgia.
The Griffeths will have watched the way the Georgia athletic department treats its coaches and taken notes. I would be surprised to see them end up there. UGA will have to throw a LOT of money at them to make it appealing.
Yeah Garrett was also Jay's graduate assistant then working for the team while Courtney finished her masters when Jay got the boot, so while I can see a world in which the offer will be tempting I don't think they're going to go for it. I really think they're going to play the long game with LSU. I imagine once Jay's kids are done with college he'll be looking to start transitioning the program especially now that he has his natty. The Griffeths are in their mid 30s - they've got time on their side.
Yep, if you've only been paying attention to NCAA gymnastics for the past 6-7 years I can see why you think someone would jump at the chance to coach at UGA but the reality is so much more complicated. That role is not at ALL what it should be on paper.
Theoretically, if Jordyn went I'd imagine some of her top gymnasts would enter the portal and follow her. With the NIL and portal, wild things are happening in other sports that will be mimicked in gym at some point.
It would speed up the process a lot.
I do think the UGA job is a trap. It is the worst job in the nation because of lack of stability. They have delusions of grandeur and think it is 2008.
To be fair, it used to have those expectations. I don’t know who is left in the UGA Athletic Dept that was there when Suzanne was riding high, but theres been turnover since even Jay was fired.
The next head coach will have the resources of a power football school, the prestige and history of 10 national titles and an expectation bar of “just finish higher than dead last please”
That's probably pretty accurate but I would be absolutely shocked if conversations with Jay Clark, the Howells, or Jordyn Wieber include any more dialogue than a "no thank you." None of these people with their 1, 2, and 7 (respectively) teams wants to be charged with rehabbing a broken Georgia team when they are starting to finally see payoff for the work that they've put in with their own teams. Might be a nice bargaining chip for a raise but that's about it.
I'm confident Georgia is going to throw a lot of money at any potential coach and that will probably score them a solid up and comer, but as far as some of these names, good luck with that. At this point, it's like the CEO of Blockbuster calling the CEO of Netflix to offer them a job. Not saying they can't be salvaged but it's like starting from scratch (bottom of SEC for 2 years in a row) and none of those people are going to do that. Someone like Roberts or the Griffeths? Maybe. But I suspect LSU can throw quite a bit of money at the Griffeths to stay if they want them that bad. That floor team was Courtney's baby and she was the reason they were ranked #1 in the country. LSU is going to at least put up a heck of a fight to keep them.
Although I do predict that if they go, Myia Hambrick comes back to LSU.
UGA will at least have solid lineups next year and should contend be able to put up Mid 197s consistently since they did a couple of times this year with makeshift Vt/FX lineups. Weiber already has that in her stable and the others mentioned have top notch teams already assembled. Watching FotF yesterday really brought home the depth/talent differences between teams at that level and others.
ETA- Paulesivic, the Garrisons, CJM, and maybe Field would be appropriate targets. and I doubt the Garrisons are swayable.
If Georgia is serious about a true rebuild, they should throw as much money as they can at the Garrisons. They know how to build a program and have proven it.
I looked it up- their highest team score prior to him was a 196.4... CKC just got canned after UGA put up a 197.4 at Regionals. Tim has to be golden at UK and he already has his own recruiting pipeline.
UGA also shot themselves in the foot when they let Jay go. He was a great recruiter, and a few gymnasts followed him to LSU. For example ex LSU lexis priessman was originally a UGA commit but switched schools bc Jay left
Per Jay- the Clarks, Ballards and Arenas are very tight. Mrs Clark/Mr Ballard are siblings, both Clark and Ballard were SYL assistants at some point, and all three wives were gymnasts at UGA. Pete Arenas said the facilities at LSU were also a big draw for Elena. But basically, both picked uncle Jay.
That was me! I think having an inexperienced HC might lower the expectations, which might be a good thing. I also think new bases would be a good thing.
Although the AD who fired Jay is long gone, I remember at the time that there were some rumors of him not getting along with some of the UGA boosters. Presumably some of those boosters are still around so I seriously doubt Jay would go back to Georgia. He was really treated badly during his time as head coach. He was such a Georgia guy through and through so I can’t imagine how he felt when all that went down. 2012 UGA was actually doing pretty well and then had three falls on beam at semis after not counting a fall all year. Very similar to what happened to Oklahoma this year. Anyway, I’m thrilled for him and LSU. Success is the best revenge and he just gave the former AD and boosters/haters a giant middle finger yesterday.
My personal wish that will NEVER happen is that they promote Ryan to head coach, keep Mollie as an assistant and bring in the McCool-Griffeths. Before anyone yells at me yes I know that this won’t happen.
Rumor on all coaches being fired seemed to come from one of the gymnasts mothers per a tweet I saw. I think keeping at least one coach would be advisable and would prioritize Roberts. I think CKC tenure would have gone better if she had retained one of the previous coaches for some continuity ( and they were both more successful than her original two hires). I suspect she had Suzanne in her ear on that. It's a strategy that seems to have worked for Jenny Roland, Ashley Miles, APJ, and CJM.
I keep saying this. Keep Ryan! Lessens the chance of losing not only incoming recruits, but also current team members. Plus, he’s done wonders for their bars team.
And if they don’t retain him, whoever picks him up will be very lucky!
It’s bizarre they think these coaches would leave their HC job. It takes years to bring in their own recruits and they’re paid well already as they are in the sec. Maybe a head coach from a program that didn’t pay as well…
I don’t see anyone mentioned in the article even considering the job except *maybe* the Griffeths—but I have a feeling that LSU would throw as much money as they could at them to keep them.
He's been talked about as a HC target before and the rumor has been he doesn't have the Bachelor's required for a head coach job. His OU bio doesn't mention a a degree while KJ's and Lou's do.
Geez- he must really have no interest in a HC job because as long as they've been dominant he could have picked up a degree of some type- online, interdisciplinary studies, parks and rec management...
To be fair, he's making more as an AC at OU with bonuses than a fair amount of head coaches. I imagine he would be snatched up very quickly if he ever did try for a HC job.
He did an interview a few years ago where he said he's turned down head coaching jobs before because he knows what he has with KJ and Lou can't be replicated and doesn't want to spend time trying to recreate what he has now.
But who knows, he might be ready this time. Probably worth the phone call but they just seem like such an unbreakable trio.
Absolutely. They'd be negligent if they didn't try to get the longstanding and only gettable assistant from the best coach.
That said, based off nothing but vibes, I reckon they are set on the McCools and will do whatever it takes to get across.
UGA just doesn’t have the pull it used to. Not only are they no longer a top ranked team, but things like sell out crowds, good facilities and high salaries are available at so many schools now, I don’t see much incentive for most current head coaches to take the job?
They should grab Catelyn Branson. Back to back USAG national team titles, regionals and nationals qualifiers as a d2 team, and the probability that some Lindenwood gymnasts would follow her would bring experience to UGAs young team
Oh to be a fly on the wall if Jay Clark is contacted. That bridge is burned and if UGA is trying to build another bridge, it's being lit on fire as soon as they attempt to build anything. And I don't think they can sway Jordyn from Arkansas. The McCools/Griffeths may be an option (but they might be better off at LSU than the UGA train wreck), or someone at a lesser school that already head coaches or someone else who is an assistant at a bigger school looking for an opportunity. But, I hope everyone asked that seriously considers this knows what they are getting into.
I’m surprised by all the Jordyn takes. I would be surprised if she ends up at Arkansas long term. However if I had to bet I would say she replaces Bev at Michigan when she retires since Jordyn is from Michigan and her family is there.
Also Arkansas is a cheap place to live and she has a great salary relative to cost of living. I could see Michigan or elsewhere later, but this seems good for now. She is just getting her recruits in and finally getting the team to a good place so it would seem premature to move now.
Yep- KJ was an athlete then assistant, then HC at ISU. She took them to Nationals then Super Six immediately before the OU hire. There is no current coach with a Nationals team that has the $ disparity of ISU vs the major schools. Possibly Denver but Kutcher Reinhardt has to be into her 50s at this point, not sure she would jump.
Her family’s closer to Michigan State than they are to Michigan… plus given everything that went down with the geddert/nassar situation coming back to her home state for gymnastics might be triggering
I don’t think I knew Jay Clark was a Georgia alum. I’m wonder if the AD would actually have the nerve to call him.
My guess is that Georgia will end up with the McCools because they would say yes and it’s the boring pick. I’m rooting for chaos though. Wasn’t Aimee Boorman trying to get the Clemson job? That could be fun.
Wahh?? When did that happen. Maybe its from habit but I swear I saw an interview last year where he said Craig was his BIL and mentioned where he/Julie had always vacationed with kids- wanted to retire/fish in the future... Maybe it was an older podcast and I listened late.
Hate to see people split after that length of time. She always looked a china doll when she was younger. I thought she was beautiful.
And her brother is married to Lori Strong (Sierra Ballard's parents.) they're supposedly best friends with the Elana Arenas parents (mom is Kim Arnold who was pretty much the UGA goat til CKC smashed the record books)
Maybe it’s wishful thinking on my part because I love what Jordyn has built with Arkansas and don’t want to see her leave, but I really don’t see her leaving. Fayetteville is consistently ranked as a great place to live for quality of life, and as someone else mentioned, the cost-of-living is low and with her and Chris’s salaries I’m sure they are living very comfortably. Arkansas is on a huge upward trajectory right now, and I think she will stay.
If not the Griffeths, what’s Rhonda Faehn doing now? That would certainly be interesting and I don’t think Georgia cares about her role in the Nasser scandal. She was the first adult to do anything about it.
My guess is it will be the Griffeth’s. I hate to see them leave LSU but UGA is their school, they both graduated from there. Not sure who would replace Garret as vault coach but I could see them getting Mya Hambrick from Utah for floor.
Would he abandon Finnegan like that right before the Olympics though? Have her train in GA until then? Don’t see how that would work when she still has school.
There’s no chance they would turn it down over a potentially complicated training situation for one athlete for a few months. I’m sure everyone at LSU knows that he and Courtney are the logical front runners for a lucrative head coaching job at their alma mater. If they are in Athens anytime before now and the Olympics, Finnegan would have to follow to continue training with him.
I don’t think it’ll be the main reason they turn down a job, but it definitely is something that they’ll have to factor into their decision among other things.
After LSU's win, I don't see the McCool-Griffeth tandem going to UGA. I think the new UGA coach will be an AC with a few years of experience. Having an unexperienced HC would lower the expectations, which wouldn't be a bad thing, considering how up and down the program has been.
Why do u think the LSU win makes it less likely that they leave rather than more likely? Genuinely curious (not trying to argue). Usually when a team is really successful, that’s the exact time that the assistants get poached by other programs. Now, I don’t see Courtney’s stock going down anytime soon, but I would think it’s as high as it’s ever been right now.
It raises their profile, sure, but it also raises their negotiation power with LSU.
"Look, we just won the first national championship for the Gymnastics program with Jay, and now, we got this very interesting and well paid offer here from another school. How do you think you could improve our terms for us to stay here at LSU?"
Sure, if they want to stay, then it’s definitely the opportunity to get a better contract. I think it comes down to the question of does Courtney want to be head coach or not? Most assistant coaches aspire to be head coaches at major programs, and that’s why they leave very highly paid, secure assistant positions to be the top person elsewhere. The Griffeths may not have that aspiration or maybe their loyalty is too great to Jay to leave. I obviously don’t them personally, so I don’t know what’s most important to them (or if UGA even wants an untested head coach).
Rumor was when Clemson was looking that Mr Griffeths wanted to be a HC/Courtney did not. That might change with time but it was supposedly their preference.
Hear me out here…and don’t throw tomatoes just yet! 🙃
KJ Kindler…what she has done at Oklahoma has been remarkable! She’s reached the pinnacle there, even despite this season’s disappointing finish. Could she do it at Georgia too?!
It would be so interesting to see how that program would change under her leadership! If KJ was up for a challenge, it would be great to see!
And I would love to see how OU would change without her leadership!
Now…I’m not delusional enough to think that would actually happen. KJ is in a great place with OU, but it is fun to imagine! What if?!
Thank you for not throwing tomatoes and hearing me out until the end! 😊😉
Hilariously enough that's part of the reason Georgia's in the situation they are. The former AD fired Jay Clark when his results weren't up to par thinking in his arrogance they could get KJ, and she obviously said no way. KJ can get pretty much whatever she wants from OU, and next year they're moving to the SEC. After her murderous recruiting spree in recent years and no doubt the upcoming revenge tour, she'd be insane to leave. Also she has two teenagers - not likely interested in uprooting her kids in high school.
My favorite part of the Georgia head coach debacle is exactly this. UGA tossing out Jay thinking KJ would fall all over herself to take the job and being totally shocked when she said no. And then they end up having to settle for Danna. Literally shot themselves in the foot.
She’d be crazy to leave her cushy situation at OU! She’s cultivated a culture that works for her and is wildly successful. People typically don’t leave situations like that this far into their careers. She also has kids, so I doubt she’s interested in relocating her entire family after building the support system that she likely has in OK.
But it is fun to dream! I think she’d be able to turn Georgia around easily.
That is a wild idea! I don’t see the top coach leaving the top program though. Usually coa coaches who build a dynasty will stay. There’s nowhere to go but down otherwise.
Maybe if they were staying in the Big 12 but with their move to SEC, I reckon KJ will be wanting to show she can conquer that conference with OU.
Plus, her oldest kid is a senior in HS next year so I doubt she'd be wanting to move her out of her environment at that stage of her life.
Is Georgia limited in what they can pay a coach being a public university? I know CKC’s salary was higher than many but I could totally see Georgia offering Jay something absolutely wild if they’re allowed to…
The only people on that list who I think may be the head coach are the Griffeths or Ryan Roberts. However, if they’re interested in Roberts, it seems odd to have terminated him (as the rumors go) rather than make him an interim head coach. Jay Clark being listed as “the top target” is almost laughable. They dumped him when they thought he wasn’t good enough but now, after he made it to the top because another school gave him the chance, they think he may come back? Please! I can see everyone else on the list taking the call and at least listening. I would be surprised if he even did that.
Georgia always seems to have a weird level of overconfidence in their own appeal based on a win streak from 15 years ago. 2010 Georgia? Sure, this list is reasonable. Now? It's like the HS Quarterback who hasn't done much in 15 years being confused when "I won a state championship in 2009" doesn't get him anywhere with women. They did this when they fired Jay and Danna and just assumed people were going to line up to take those jobs. Didn't happen then and I would be surprised if it does now. Their best bet is the Griffeiths or the Lindenwood coach. The Griffeiths are probably at the top of the list for any open position now and they also have a hell of a lot of job security at LSU at the moment. I suspect its theirs if they want it or if they want to ride it out at LSU and wait for a better offer, they can probably do that too. Financially, Georgia will probably give them whatever they want but whether Georgia is what they want is the real question.
>if they want to ride it out at LSU and wait for a better offer, they can probably do that too. In terms of head coaching opportunities, there wouldn't be many better than this one. Georgia may be at the bottom of the SEC right now but the amount of money and resources that athletic department has can't be matched by most schools. Plus the legacy of being a school thats been dominant before is a huge pull for many. Even with a bad coach, they still raked in donor money and got many top recruits. They just didn't have a coach who could get the best out of them. Put someone half decent at the job and they will overtake multiple SEC schools very quickly.
Yeah, I have no idea what the Griffeths are looking for, but I could see the UGA job being attractive to them. They’re alums, and CKC has taken UGA so low in terms of results that they would literally just need to get UGA back to being competitive in the SEC and Nationals (literally just making it there) to be an improvement. And UGA actually has a good roster. Being competitive shouldn’t be *that* difficult for a competent coach, especially with the current state of NCAA scoring. Also, looking at other top programs, most coaches seem pretty entrenched and not close to retirement, and/or the coaches are pretty new and unlikely to be fired soon. So, unless I’m overlooking something, this could be one of the better HC openings for a while.
I would be extremely surprised if Jay and Jordyn went to UGA. For Jay, it doesn’t make sense. LSU has the best facility in the country, his team just won a national championship and LSU already has great recruits in the coming years. I don’t see him leaving that for the college that kicked him out two seconds after becoming head coach. For Jordyn I think she’s found her groove with Arkansas and would rather explore growing that program than leaving for Georgia. As for the Howells, I could see why Georgia would be an attractive option. On one hand, they’ve dedicated a lot to Cal and it would suck to build them up to a national championship level team just to leave, but on the other hand the PAC-12 dissolution has a lot of worrying implications for its teams and Georgia has a better facility to work with. I think McCool-Griffith is the most solid option, a Georgia alum, but with a great resume of significant coaching experience built at some of the best teams in the nation.
Georgia and Cal are really different culturally.
Jay would be crazy for even considering it, not even for fingerpointing and that could be your schools title. Why go somewhere they kicked you after such a short time. Rebuilding a program takes time and that was something Georgia was not willing to give last time..
Oh, to be a fly on the wall when the Georgia AD calls Jay Clark...
It would be straight up insulting to even ask Jay. It would be more appropriate to send him a card saying "Congratulations. We are dumb asses"
Exactly. This wasn’t even a case of him getting fired as part of a coaching change - like if they had hired someone else to replace Suzanne, and he wasn’t retained. He was treated pretty terribly after being a long-term UGA coach and wasn’t even given a full 4 years to get his footing. As you said, the only outreach to him should be a congratulations for the LSU championship.
Yeah he spent 20+ years at Georgia only for them to fire him. UGA act like he was suppose to get the gymdawgs an sec/natty within his first 2 years
And to be clear, I am *not* a Jay Clark fan. I guess he could take this offer as additional support to ask for a fat raise (on top of the bonus he has earned this year)
Apparently the offer is 7 figures. Thats a heck of a mea culpa.
I have my doubts about that number. Gymnastics is still a non-revenue sport. That’s a huge number for someone who’s won one title.
I can only repeat what I heard. The source is a alumni with loose connections to the UGA program and Jay.
If that's true, they must have a helluva collective fund
If I were Jay, I would listen to their offer and take the info to LSU to get the best possible raise.
Lol all of these great coaching names in this article and watch them hire Kristina Comforte or some shit.
Can't be worse than Amy Smith...
lol she was a disaster when she was at UCLA.
Amy or Kristina? Or both...
Kristina. I was not a fan when Amy was coaching UCLA so I don't know anything about it.
I don’t see why any of the head coaches they mentioned would be interested. Jay seems to adore his athletes, he just won’t nattys, has an amazing incoming class for the next few years, a school that seems to value the team, an amazing facility, etc. The Howell’s are building an incredible program at Berkeley. They are SO close to winning a natty (and if I were them, I couldn’t imagine walking away from that. Plus, If they like the Bay area culture, I can’t see them enjoying Georgia’s culture at all. Jordyn got her team to nationals for the first time, and she’s got amazing recruits coming in. Arkansas seems like it’s really on people’s radar. I know that georgia used to be incredibly strong, but at this point they’re no where near the caliber of the other SEC school. I feel like it would be a step down for any of the coaches mentioned. I could see an assistant coach going there for the opportunity to be head coach, or someone at a smaller program who wants the opportunity to be at an SEC school. I wouldn’t even be shocked to see the lindenwood coach head there - she’ll be looking for a job and clearly did a great job with that program. Or maybe someone like Waller who is a bit out of the limelight…Alternatively, maybe they’d try to pull a really strong L10 coach?
UGA has athletic budgets that Arkansas and Kentucky don’t have. If they are committed to spending dollars that makes a difference.
Except Arkansas doesn’t have the insane expectations of their boosters expecting a new HC to take them to nationals in their first year. In their press release they mentioned chasing SEC champs, which is insane knowing OU is joining the SEC next season. Any HC with a brain is staying far away from Georgia. There’s a reason they could only get CKC after they fired Jay and Danna.
Money talks though
But honestly in this situation, it doesn’t. Their pattern of behavior of the school to their coaches is clear: don’t win, get fired. Why leave a stable job with lower expectations that you can build at your own pace for an extremely high stress, high risk job that you will likely be fired from 2-3 years later? The money isn’t a draw anymore when you know it’s not a long-term opportunity.
I would’ve agreed with this pre-CKC, but I really don’t think it’s the case after her tenure. Most people (myself included) have been shocked at how long she lasted with such poor results. UGA has been passed by every other SEC program in terms of results, while having comparable rosters to several teams. I think UGA has come back down to earth, and as long as the new HC is improving, I don’t see them being on the hot seat.
They did not pay for her abilities but her name in my opinion
Georgia did prematurely run Clark off, but they also gave CKC seven seasons to try to prove herself even when her results weren’t great. Durante was around for five years, and I’m not sure she got fired for her results or that weird thing where she kicked all the walk-ons off the team and cancelled the banquet. It was probably a combo of the two. Georgia’s been more patient in recent years with their coaches, and I’m sure they would give the new coach more time than they did Clark. Honestly, it’s not like CKC was lighting the world on fire. That Georgia roster has potential and a halfway decent coach should be able improve on her results.
I have to believe if CKC wasn't one of the best UGA gymnasts of all time her tenure would have been 4-5 years shorter though. So for someone to come in with zero tie to UGA, you'd think they wouldn't be given as much grace
I think they also gave her more time because Covid upended everything and she had two really strong recruiting classes in the queue. It also helped them because it's gotten rid of the 'firing to quickly' narrative. Noones come out and said anything aside from one dropped recruit but there have always been murmurs about athletes having issues with Durante. And her results at UNC have been surprising given that they've landed some decent recruits.
I forgot about the Covid window, clearly time will do that to you 😅 but a very good point. Though Victoria Nguyen has heavily implied things were not great
I actually heard that Clark in his short tenure and Durante had still slightly better results 👀👀.
Clark landed in 3rd at SECs every year but never made Super 6. Durante made super 6 3 times but was never a threat in the SEC- and the year she ran out of Clarks recruits they dropped to 12th. CKC inherited a very disjointed roster from Durante. And a lot of injured athletes/recruits. TBH I now wonder if other coaches didn't see that dilemma coming and steer clear.
CKC’s best years at Georgia were with the Durante gymnasts though. They were also with Suzanne there to steer the ship, so that might have been what was making the difference. They made nationals CKC’s first two years, and it wasn’t until Suzanne and Durante’s recruits left that things started falling off a cliff.
CKC had Durante recruits incoming for at least 3 years- and lost a couple of big ones to other schools. I'm not sure if she would have been wise to drop some of the offers or look for transfers. What she did instead was mass recruiting of the athletes available late in process in her second year- and these athletes and commits/flips for 2020 ended up also being an injured lot. I think Weiber made a better strategic choice going after transfers from the start and finding healthy solid athletes instead of chasing down former elites who had question marks. I think this was likely a product of Suzanne's presence and the way Suzanne/Jay ran UGA when elites were gold. I really do think a couple of years elsewhere would have helped CKC. Her experiences in elite and college were really at the tip of the top- athletes like her, Tolnay and Heenan who might be injured but could gut it out to put up 39.6s at will. They were complete outliers but I that was what she knew.
I actually read somewhere that she wasn't working in coaching when she took the job. I don't remember where I read that but did they recruit a coach or her name for the boosters 🤔? If she then got the injured and the rest building a decent team takes time. I heard Jay is a golden recruiter, so if Durante isn't similar talented she might run out of the most talent and injure or overtrain the rest?? To be fair maybe the injuries were not her fault 🤷
Jay has always been a top recruiter except a lag during the Yoculan retirement tour. His first year at LSU was also the most wildly underperforming (and injured) group he recruited. Just all around bad luck with existing gymnasts injured and a dud class. Not sure on the first sentence but CKC was a commentator for SEC and maybe ESPN who also worked briefly in a club gym when they made the hire. A lot of people took note of that. For comparison Weiber had been the student coach at UCLA for 4 or 5 years. Strangely she probably also walked into a better roster since they were at least healthy.
I am also certain that Jay for example isn't so young anymore, mid-fiftyish maybe🤔? The Griffiths could be the successors at LSU and they probably will be if they stay. Just to be clear I am not trying him to retire but like he took over from DD and worked with her for years the Griffiths might do the same. LSU has great facilities, they were part of the team that won Nationals, LSU has money and that means more possibilities 🤷🤷.
Definitely! I think he’s training the Griffeths the same way DD trained him. They are poised to take over in 5-10 years when he retires.
I would’ve guessed that Jay is looking at another 15 years or so, but if it’s more in the 5-year range, then I do think it’s much more likely that they stay in Baton Rouge. With that said, I actually think taking over after Jay, an ace recruiter and the first coach to win a championship at LSU, will be a *much* more pressure-filled position than taking over at UGA right now would be. I don’t expect the AD would be as unreasonable as UGA was with Jay (I would hope all programs learned something from that screw up), but generally speaking, LSU likes winning just as much as UGA does. Jay is such a good recruiter that he’ll always have a roster that can win a championships, but who knows the extent that it lasts once he’s gone.
Honestly the only pull for Cals coaches might be the facilities and I doubt it. They work well with their program and isn't the culture much more conservative at Georgia? I could see a move from Georgia to LSU or the other way around not that Jay would do that. It is disrespectful at least in my opinion to even try to recruit Jay after they kicked him to the curb after so many years. They can send him a congrats and sorry we were stupid card...
I don’t see the Howells going to UGA, but the impending implosion of the ACC has to have any coach at the “less desirable” ACC schools concerned. Cal and Stanford were nearly left out during last year’s realignment, and of the current ACC schools, neither Cal or Stanford are considered likely to end up in the BIG or SEC (where most schools want to be). Also, the culture is more conservative at Georgia than Cal for sure. However, Athens itself is not that conservative. It’s a blue college town. If they’re progressives, they wouldn’t have trouble finding people with similar views at all, but overall, yeah, it’s a different vibe than the Bay Area.
If the Griffeths do go, I think it's a decision based on sentimentality not what is the smart decision for them. They've got a really good situation where they are, Garrett is being paid the same salary as CKC. I think LSU will be prepared to throw more money at them, promote Garrett to associate head coach, a few years down the line I see Jay making him co-head coach for a bit to prepare the transition. They seem really loyal to Jay. They've also hopped around a fair amount, but despite all the open positions over the years haven't gone near Georgia.
The Griffeths will have watched the way the Georgia athletic department treats its coaches and taken notes. I would be surprised to see them end up there. UGA will have to throw a LOT of money at them to make it appealing.
I feel like there are only 3 of us here who get how much they are aware of the UGA pressure cooker and how much easier it would be elsewhere.
Yeah Garrett was also Jay's graduate assistant then working for the team while Courtney finished her masters when Jay got the boot, so while I can see a world in which the offer will be tempting I don't think they're going to go for it. I really think they're going to play the long game with LSU. I imagine once Jay's kids are done with college he'll be looking to start transitioning the program especially now that he has his natty. The Griffeths are in their mid 30s - they've got time on their side.
Yep, if you've only been paying attention to NCAA gymnastics for the past 6-7 years I can see why you think someone would jump at the chance to coach at UGA but the reality is so much more complicated. That role is not at ALL what it should be on paper.
Theoretically, if Jordyn went I'd imagine some of her top gymnasts would enter the portal and follow her. With the NIL and portal, wild things are happening in other sports that will be mimicked in gym at some point. It would speed up the process a lot. I do think the UGA job is a trap. It is the worst job in the nation because of lack of stability. They have delusions of grandeur and think it is 2008.
To be fair, it used to have those expectations. I don’t know who is left in the UGA Athletic Dept that was there when Suzanne was riding high, but theres been turnover since even Jay was fired. The next head coach will have the resources of a power football school, the prestige and history of 10 national titles and an expectation bar of “just finish higher than dead last please”
That's probably pretty accurate but I would be absolutely shocked if conversations with Jay Clark, the Howells, or Jordyn Wieber include any more dialogue than a "no thank you." None of these people with their 1, 2, and 7 (respectively) teams wants to be charged with rehabbing a broken Georgia team when they are starting to finally see payoff for the work that they've put in with their own teams. Might be a nice bargaining chip for a raise but that's about it. I'm confident Georgia is going to throw a lot of money at any potential coach and that will probably score them a solid up and comer, but as far as some of these names, good luck with that. At this point, it's like the CEO of Blockbuster calling the CEO of Netflix to offer them a job. Not saying they can't be salvaged but it's like starting from scratch (bottom of SEC for 2 years in a row) and none of those people are going to do that. Someone like Roberts or the Griffeths? Maybe. But I suspect LSU can throw quite a bit of money at the Griffeths to stay if they want them that bad. That floor team was Courtney's baby and she was the reason they were ranked #1 in the country. LSU is going to at least put up a heck of a fight to keep them. Although I do predict that if they go, Myia Hambrick comes back to LSU.
UGA will at least have solid lineups next year and should contend be able to put up Mid 197s consistently since they did a couple of times this year with makeshift Vt/FX lineups. Weiber already has that in her stable and the others mentioned have top notch teams already assembled. Watching FotF yesterday really brought home the depth/talent differences between teams at that level and others. ETA- Paulesivic, the Garrisons, CJM, and maybe Field would be appropriate targets. and I doubt the Garrisons are swayable.
If Georgia is serious about a true rebuild, they should throw as much money as they can at the Garrisons. They know how to build a program and have proven it.
Somehow I feel like Tim will not leave his Wildcats 🤔🤔
I looked it up- their highest team score prior to him was a 196.4... CKC just got canned after UGA put up a 197.4 at Regionals. Tim has to be golden at UK and he already has his own recruiting pipeline.
It will be interesting to see if any of the UGA gymnasts enter the transfer portal. Do we know when it closes?
Because of the headcoach change I think UGA gymnasts have more time to enter. Usually the portal is open for 30 days after a headcoach change.
May 15
Thank you! I didn't realize it was so short a window.
It’s only 60 days long (starting from the day after the selection show I believe)
The Netflix/Blockbuster thing is such a funny and good analogy!
I feel this article is vastly overestimating the pull Georgia has.
Maybe if this article was written shortly after 2009 all the hoopla would make sense. But you are right it's 2024.
The McCools are the only ones I see as realistic
Not really related to the subject at hand, but I love that we refer to them as the McCools. That just feels correct to me. ☺️
Lol, I don't know who that man is!
Sorry to this man
I don’t know anything about her husband. What makes him good? I know Courtney’s credentials, but don’t know why he’s the draw and not her.
Jay Clark will never, ever, ever go back to UGA. That bridge is burnt.
UGA also shot themselves in the foot when they let Jay go. He was a great recruiter, and a few gymnasts followed him to LSU. For example ex LSU lexis priessman was originally a UGA commit but switched schools bc Jay left
Yep. Sami Durante, Elena Arenas, many others
Which is saying something because Elena's mom was a UGA gymnast
Her mom was also recruited by Jay Clark so he might have been more of a pull than the college itself
Per Jay- the Clarks, Ballards and Arenas are very tight. Mrs Clark/Mr Ballard are siblings, both Clark and Ballard were SYL assistants at some point, and all three wives were gymnasts at UGA. Pete Arenas said the facilities at LSU were also a big draw for Elena. But basically, both picked uncle Jay.
Durante might be more because her mother lost her job 🤔🤔. I thought it was interesting that the first job she has is with her mother,
I read from a previous post that maybe former OU gymnast Taylor Spears currently at Arizona might be good for UGA
That was me! I think having an inexperienced HC might lower the expectations, which might be a good thing. I also think new bases would be a good thing.
Although the AD who fired Jay is long gone, I remember at the time that there were some rumors of him not getting along with some of the UGA boosters. Presumably some of those boosters are still around so I seriously doubt Jay would go back to Georgia. He was really treated badly during his time as head coach. He was such a Georgia guy through and through so I can’t imagine how he felt when all that went down. 2012 UGA was actually doing pretty well and then had three falls on beam at semis after not counting a fall all year. Very similar to what happened to Oklahoma this year. Anyway, I’m thrilled for him and LSU. Success is the best revenge and he just gave the former AD and boosters/haters a giant middle finger yesterday. My personal wish that will NEVER happen is that they promote Ryan to head coach, keep Mollie as an assistant and bring in the McCool-Griffeths. Before anyone yells at me yes I know that this won’t happen.
Rumor on all coaches being fired seemed to come from one of the gymnasts mothers per a tweet I saw. I think keeping at least one coach would be advisable and would prioritize Roberts. I think CKC tenure would have gone better if she had retained one of the previous coaches for some continuity ( and they were both more successful than her original two hires). I suspect she had Suzanne in her ear on that. It's a strategy that seems to have worked for Jenny Roland, Ashley Miles, APJ, and CJM.
I keep saying this. Keep Ryan! Lessens the chance of losing not only incoming recruits, but also current team members. Plus, he’s done wonders for their bars team. And if they don’t retain him, whoever picks him up will be very lucky!
It’s bizarre they think these coaches would leave their HC job. It takes years to bring in their own recruits and they’re paid well already as they are in the sec. Maybe a head coach from a program that didn’t pay as well…
I don’t see anyone mentioned in the article even considering the job except *maybe* the Griffeths—but I have a feeling that LSU would throw as much money as they could at them to keep them.
Yeah agree
I’d be going after Tom Haley of OU. No idea if he’d actually leave or what he’s making at OU, but it’s worth a shot.
He's been talked about as a HC target before and the rumor has been he doesn't have the Bachelor's required for a head coach job. His OU bio doesn't mention a a degree while KJ's and Lou's do.
Geez- he must really have no interest in a HC job because as long as they've been dominant he could have picked up a degree of some type- online, interdisciplinary studies, parks and rec management...
To be fair, he's making more as an AC at OU with bonuses than a fair amount of head coaches. I imagine he would be snatched up very quickly if he ever did try for a HC job.
Ooh interesting. I didn’t know that! Just figured they made such a good team at OU, that he had no interest in leaving(which could still be the case).
Man that is a really silly requirement, and I’m generally a person who thinks a bachelor’s degree is a good idea for anyone who can swing it.
Anyone know if this is the case for Adrian(UF), as well? He’s been there for so long.. surprised he hasn’t taken over somewhere else.
Could be- His bio mentions a degree from Romania in coaching and I have no idea if that would meet the requirement.
I always saw Tom, Lou and KJ as an unseparable trio.
He did an interview a few years ago where he said he's turned down head coaching jobs before because he knows what he has with KJ and Lou can't be replicated and doesn't want to spend time trying to recreate what he has now. But who knows, he might be ready this time. Probably worth the phone call but they just seem like such an unbreakable trio.
Right. That’d be a top candidate for me if I were an AD. Rather ask and hear no, than not ask at all.
Absolutely. They'd be negligent if they didn't try to get the longstanding and only gettable assistant from the best coach. That said, based off nothing but vibes, I reckon they are set on the McCools and will do whatever it takes to get across.
UGA just doesn’t have the pull it used to. Not only are they no longer a top ranked team, but things like sell out crowds, good facilities and high salaries are available at so many schools now, I don’t see much incentive for most current head coaches to take the job?
They should grab Catelyn Branson. Back to back USAG national team titles, regionals and nationals qualifiers as a d2 team, and the probability that some Lindenwood gymnasts would follow her would bring experience to UGAs young team
Oh to be a fly on the wall if Jay Clark is contacted. That bridge is burned and if UGA is trying to build another bridge, it's being lit on fire as soon as they attempt to build anything. And I don't think they can sway Jordyn from Arkansas. The McCools/Griffeths may be an option (but they might be better off at LSU than the UGA train wreck), or someone at a lesser school that already head coaches or someone else who is an assistant at a bigger school looking for an opportunity. But, I hope everyone asked that seriously considers this knows what they are getting into.
I think they’ll stay at LSU and be Jay’s successor when he retires 5-10 years down the road.
I’m surprised by all the Jordyn takes. I would be surprised if she ends up at Arkansas long term. However if I had to bet I would say she replaces Bev at Michigan when she retires since Jordyn is from Michigan and her family is there.
I always got the feeling that Jo wanted to build the program at Arkansas like KJ Kindler at OU.
I suspect Arkansas is her ISU. Everyone mentions Michigan but sooner or later a texas program will add a school. That's were shed make her mark.
Also Arkansas is a cheap place to live and she has a great salary relative to cost of living. I could see Michigan or elsewhere later, but this seems good for now. She is just getting her recruits in and finally getting the team to a good place so it would seem premature to move now.
ISU?
I think Iowa State, which is where KJ Kindler started her coaching career before moving to OU.
Yep- KJ was an athlete then assistant, then HC at ISU. She took them to Nationals then Super Six immediately before the OU hire. There is no current coach with a Nationals team that has the $ disparity of ISU vs the major schools. Possibly Denver but Kutcher Reinhardt has to be into her 50s at this point, not sure she would jump.
Her family’s closer to Michigan State than they are to Michigan… plus given everything that went down with the geddert/nassar situation coming back to her home state for gymnastics might be triggering
I don’t think I knew Jay Clark was a Georgia alum. I’m wonder if the AD would actually have the nerve to call him. My guess is that Georgia will end up with the McCools because they would say yes and it’s the boring pick. I’m rooting for chaos though. Wasn’t Aimee Boorman trying to get the Clemson job? That could be fun.
His wife was a Georgia gymnast!
Ex-wife. Jay and Julie are no longer married.
Wahh?? When did that happen. Maybe its from habit but I swear I saw an interview last year where he said Craig was his BIL and mentioned where he/Julie had always vacationed with kids- wanted to retire/fish in the future... Maybe it was an older podcast and I listened late. Hate to see people split after that length of time. She always looked a china doll when she was younger. I thought she was beautiful.
Is that recent? His LSU Athletics official bio still says they are married
I missed that. Was it recent?
Yep- Julie Ballard Clark (who is originally from Louisiana).
And her brother is married to Lori Strong (Sierra Ballard's parents.) they're supposedly best friends with the Elana Arenas parents (mom is Kim Arnold who was pretty much the UGA goat til CKC smashed the record books)
Yes, it’s such a tangled web. I remember watching Kim Arnold and Karin Lichey. That UGA era was incredible.
Maybe it’s wishful thinking on my part because I love what Jordyn has built with Arkansas and don’t want to see her leave, but I really don’t see her leaving. Fayetteville is consistently ranked as a great place to live for quality of life, and as someone else mentioned, the cost-of-living is low and with her and Chris’s salaries I’m sure they are living very comfortably. Arkansas is on a huge upward trajectory right now, and I think she will stay.
Depending on how they've treated CKC behind the scenes I wonder if McCool is even interested.
If not the Griffeths, what’s Rhonda Faehn doing now? That would certainly be interesting and I don’t think Georgia cares about her role in the Nasser scandal. She was the first adult to do anything about it.
I posted the same thing before I saw your reply. I am totally on the same page. I think Rhonda would actually be the perfect fit here.
My guess is it will be the Griffeth’s. I hate to see them leave LSU but UGA is their school, they both graduated from there. Not sure who would replace Garret as vault coach but I could see them getting Mya Hambrick from Utah for floor.
Would he abandon Finnegan like that right before the Olympics though? Have her train in GA until then? Don’t see how that would work when she still has school.
There’s no chance they would turn it down over a potentially complicated training situation for one athlete for a few months. I’m sure everyone at LSU knows that he and Courtney are the logical front runners for a lucrative head coaching job at their alma mater. If they are in Athens anytime before now and the Olympics, Finnegan would have to follow to continue training with him.
I don’t think it’ll be the main reason they turn down a job, but it definitely is something that they’ll have to factor into their decision among other things.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Rhonda Faehn in the mix for this role.
After LSU's win, I don't see the McCool-Griffeth tandem going to UGA. I think the new UGA coach will be an AC with a few years of experience. Having an unexperienced HC would lower the expectations, which wouldn't be a bad thing, considering how up and down the program has been.
Why do u think the LSU win makes it less likely that they leave rather than more likely? Genuinely curious (not trying to argue). Usually when a team is really successful, that’s the exact time that the assistants get poached by other programs. Now, I don’t see Courtney’s stock going down anytime soon, but I would think it’s as high as it’s ever been right now.
Jay and UGA are basically mortal enemies, and Courtney and Garett are very close to Jay.
It raises their profile, sure, but it also raises their negotiation power with LSU. "Look, we just won the first national championship for the Gymnastics program with Jay, and now, we got this very interesting and well paid offer here from another school. How do you think you could improve our terms for us to stay here at LSU?"
Sure, if they want to stay, then it’s definitely the opportunity to get a better contract. I think it comes down to the question of does Courtney want to be head coach or not? Most assistant coaches aspire to be head coaches at major programs, and that’s why they leave very highly paid, secure assistant positions to be the top person elsewhere. The Griffeths may not have that aspiration or maybe their loyalty is too great to Jay to leave. I obviously don’t them personally, so I don’t know what’s most important to them (or if UGA even wants an untested head coach).
I think they might want the long game and be Jay's successors 🤔🤔
Rumor was when Clemson was looking that Mr Griffeths wanted to be a HC/Courtney did not. That might change with time but it was supposedly their preference.
Hear me out here…and don’t throw tomatoes just yet! 🙃 KJ Kindler…what she has done at Oklahoma has been remarkable! She’s reached the pinnacle there, even despite this season’s disappointing finish. Could she do it at Georgia too?! It would be so interesting to see how that program would change under her leadership! If KJ was up for a challenge, it would be great to see! And I would love to see how OU would change without her leadership! Now…I’m not delusional enough to think that would actually happen. KJ is in a great place with OU, but it is fun to imagine! What if?! Thank you for not throwing tomatoes and hearing me out until the end! 😊😉
Hilariously enough that's part of the reason Georgia's in the situation they are. The former AD fired Jay Clark when his results weren't up to par thinking in his arrogance they could get KJ, and she obviously said no way. KJ can get pretty much whatever she wants from OU, and next year they're moving to the SEC. After her murderous recruiting spree in recent years and no doubt the upcoming revenge tour, she'd be insane to leave. Also she has two teenagers - not likely interested in uprooting her kids in high school.
My favorite part of the Georgia head coach debacle is exactly this. UGA tossing out Jay thinking KJ would fall all over herself to take the job and being totally shocked when she said no. And then they end up having to settle for Danna. Literally shot themselves in the foot.
This is so interesting! Thank you for sharing!!
She’d be crazy to leave her cushy situation at OU! She’s cultivated a culture that works for her and is wildly successful. People typically don’t leave situations like that this far into their careers. She also has kids, so I doubt she’s interested in relocating her entire family after building the support system that she likely has in OK. But it is fun to dream! I think she’d be able to turn Georgia around easily.
Absolutely! Agreed!! She’s got a wonderful place that she’s built…she would be crazy to leave it!
She probably can do anything ❤️ save any school, rehab any gymnast but I bet OU would goldplate her house before that happens 😂
Lol definitely. OU won’t let her go without first offering the key to the city.
That is a wild idea! I don’t see the top coach leaving the top program though. Usually coa coaches who build a dynasty will stay. There’s nowhere to go but down otherwise.
Sometimes they will do it for sentimental reasons like Kim Mulkey in basketball. She’s a Louisiana native so went home to LSU. But otherwise I agree.
I guess once you’ve built your castle it would be crazy to leave it for anything less…right?! 🙃
Maybe if they were staying in the Big 12 but with their move to SEC, I reckon KJ will be wanting to show she can conquer that conference with OU. Plus, her oldest kid is a senior in HS next year so I doubt she'd be wanting to move her out of her environment at that stage of her life.
[удалено]
https://preview.redd.it/awv1l4r625wc1.jpeg?width=811&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4f233982cdd073b4d30e8fc8e5319fe255c85777 🧐He sees all the chatter.🤭
https://preview.redd.it/t97d4aya85wc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c223c029b4143f3769e4dcbc96a86d05a76001b7
You want to go back to nationals, evening SECs, 198s and contending for trophies? Tim Garrison.
Is Georgia limited in what they can pay a coach being a public university? I know CKC’s salary was higher than many but I could totally see Georgia offering Jay something absolutely wild if they’re allowed to…
I read Jay also just made $90,000 in bonuses for getting the team to the final four + winning the natty.
Damn! I’m sure this is an unpopular opinion on this sub but I kind of love that
Same. I love seeing Jay finally get his bag.
Nope. There are some states where the football coach is the highest paid state employee.
And Georgia is one of those states. UGA absolutely has money to throw at a new coach. The problem is sometimes money isn’t enough.
Money definitely isn’t enough in this situation.
I’m in CT and our highest paid state employees are the UConn basketball coaches.
Interesting!