So it’s possibly Wieber? Wieber, I don’t see leaving a program that has become her program. She would be welcomed at UCLA, but she will have some cleaning up to do. Meanwhile, Arkansas is a program on the rise and is getting recruits. Leah Smith was a big name recruit.
Maybe Kyla Ross or Felicia Hano if Wieber doesn’t go for it. But both are really lacking the experience needed. Wieber didn’t have the experience but it was a lower tiered team she took over, not a famous program that has multiple championships and also draws in the top recruits.
Other ideas:
Amy Smith, UCLA alumni, was a contributor to the 97 national championships team, has been a successful head coach at Utah State. She might want to bump up to a national contender team give the “lower status” of Utah State. Though it is a program that has gained success more each year.
Ashley Johnston (Priess) associate head coach at Auburn. She has been a successful coach for years now and has championship experience under her belt both as a gymnast at Alabama and as AC at Auburn. But. Will she want to leave a team that has had its best season in history and looking to repeat success next year. Clearly she would be next in line to take over Auburn when Jeff Graba sets to retire.
Janelle McDonald, assistant at Cal. Under her leadership they had their first ever NCAA champion with Maya Bordas. Cal’s strength is generally uneven bars. This is her speciality. UCLA could definitely use a strong bars coach since Waller is leaving and he generally oversaw that event. She is also PAC 12 and in state already.
Or perhaps this is the time for the Griffiths to take over a program complete and Courtney promoted to co-head coach. Though they went back to the SEC this year, they were successful at Utah and in the PAC 12 so they know PAC 12 gymnastics.
Marie Case who was interim head coach at UNC and went back to assistant when Durante was hired. Clemson might be more likely for her to obtain as head coach and I would rather take that option. However, that said she is someone that is ready to take over a program.
Finally, Carly Dockendorf has done amazing work with Utah on beam. She’s a former PAC 12 gymnast at Washington, she had coached at Seattle Pacific and now Utah, so she has reasonable coaching experience.
In my opinion it will be a female head coach hired. No way will a male be hired. So it is unlikely for the Griffiths to get the job unless they are co-head coaches.
My three choices are
Amy Smith
Janelle McDonald
Carly Dockendorf
With Janelle being the more likely of the three, unless Smith wants to move up to a high profile program, then she makes the most sense.