CKC is out at Georgia (Courtney Kupets-Carter)

[irichluck21]

Jay Clark to LIU is HILARIOUS!

 

[rlayt]

The LSU coaches turned down Georgia’s offers.

Sources say LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark, staff staying after being pursued by Georgia

The LSU gymnastics coaching staff will remain intact after the University of Georgia targeted Jay Clark and his assistants to return to his former school in the wake of the

www.nola.com

 

[irichluck21]

 

[MaryClare]

So the Griffeths were offered co head coach role and turned it down to remain assistants at LSU. Ouch for Georgia

 

[irichluck21]

And the LSU team just all got raises!

 

[Seyonne]

I don’t really follow NCAA, but the impression I get is that Georgia coaches are always in danger of being fired. I’d definitely stay away from that.

 

[Orange]

I can’t believe I’m defending Georgia, but the only coach I think they were hasty in firing was Clark. Durante’s results were okay, but she also had that weird freak out where she kicked all the walk-ons off the team and cancelled the team banquet. You can get away with some drama if you are winning, but an AD isn’t going to put up with that if you are finishing 12th.

They gave Kupets seven years and things were getting worse instead of better. Does anybody think she was going to turn that around? I’m kind of surprised they gave her as long as they did, and I suspect it’s much more because of what she did as a gymnast than a coach.

Maybe it’s because I watch a lot of basketball where coaches are constantly moving around, but the Georgia coaching situation seems typical to me. You don’t take the Georgia job without knowing they expect certain results. I’m very curious to see who winds up there next because I was sure it was going to be the McCools.

 

[cuuf]

The way college football hiring and firing goes, and given that Georgia is a big-time college football school, I suspect the AD approached this situation in a similar manner. Meaning he probably had significant discussions with Jay's and or Griffeths attorneys (the classic back-channel communication), but not directly to them. There must have been interest and the rough parameters of a deal such that the Georgia AD felt reasonably confident that it was a done deal, hence firing the whole staff. I think winning the title changed the calculus on that. Or maybe not? I do know any AD does not want a program without a leader for a significant amount of time, especially since athletes can transfer freely. So if Georgia doesn't announce a hire by the end of the week, I am going to say there was credibility to this rumor.

 

[RedBirdie]

I've heard from two different people who said deals were essentially in place prior to nationals. But LSU winning changed things, and LSU is willing to match what Georgia was offering Clark, Griffith, and McCool. So all three decided to stay put in Baton Rouge. Georgia feels blindsided that they decided to remain at LSU.

 

[makam]

This tea is delicious.

Also, knowing there are expectations and knowing that the talent and recruiting aren't there to achieve those expectations, who would take that job unless they were just wanting a temporary thing or to check a box? I'm not sure if CKC would want another ncaa coaching job but if she did, is she even hireable?

I don't think there is a coach on the planet who could meet what Georgia seems to want on the timeline they seem to have.

 

[CameliasFingerpaint]

I've heard from two different people who said deals were essentially in place prior to nationals. But LSU winning changed things, and LSU is willing to match what Georgia was offering Clark, Griffith, and McCool. So all three decided to stay put in Baton Rouge. Georgia feels blindsided that they decided to remain at LSU.

While I really don’t care for Jay Clark, I kind of love this for him given the way things went down with him the first time around with UGA.

 

[MaryClare]

No head coach of the calibre Georgia wants is surely going to say yes, knowing that they were way down the list

 

[Sasha]

I hope that Georgia had a plan B. Seems like they put all their eggs in the LSU staff basket.

 

[dweiss324]

I don't have a strong opinion on Jay Clark, but man that has to feel good to win your school's first national championship and then eff over the school that fired you that was trying to poach you back.

Is there like a volunteer student mom that can fill in for CKC lol? Might be their best option at this point.

 

[Sparklesmom]

I hope that Georgia had a plan B. Seems like they put all their eggs in the LSU staff basket.

I literally don't understand why they would even have thought that Jay would go to them. Even if they hadn't won nationals this year they have been highly successful and he has top recruits lined up for years to come. He would have to be a fool to leave that to go back to the people who fired him. And Jay does not strike me as a fool.

 

[Laura722]

I've heard from two different people who said deals were essentially in place prior to nationals. But LSU winning changed things, and LSU is willing to match what Georgia was offering Clark, Griffith, and McCool. So all three decided to stay put in Baton Rouge. Georgia feels blindsided that they decided to remain at LSU.

It's hard for me to buy that they were blindsided. Do they think coaches want to coach there? Even if they hadn't won the national title, it would have been crazy to leave LSU.

 

[RedBirdie]

I literally don't understand why they would even have thought that Jay would go to them. Even if they hadn't won nationals this year they have been highly successful and he has top recruits lined up for years to come. He would have to be a fool to leave that to go back to the people who fired him. And Jay does not strike me as a fool.

Georgia was apparently ready to throw a million dollars a year at him. That's almost 4 times what he makes at LSU. It would have made him the highest paid coach in gymnastics.

Additionally, with the transfer portal, he could have a large number of LSU gymnasts follow him to Georgia. When a coach leaves, that's another opportunity for athletes at that school to enter the portal. When a new coach arrives, the are not bound by the rules about how many athletes they can accept from the portal. If someone is recruited and the coach leaves, they can ask to be released from their commitment and the school must honor that. Jay Clark wouldn't be abandoning his recruiting pipeline, or even his current athletes. He could basically take them with him, if they wanted to follow.

We've not seen a successful coach switch schools in the transfer portal era. I don't know how many, if any, LSU gymnasts would have followed Jay. But the ability to do so certainly is there.

 

[rlayt]

The Georgia people might have an inflated sense of the program’s ability to attract coaches.

 

[Sasha]

I literally don't understand why they would even have thought that Jay would go to them. Even if they hadn't won nationals this year they have been highly successful and he has top recruits lined up for years to come. He would have to be a fool to leave that to go back to the people who fired him. And Jay does not strike me as a fool.

Someone posted some info on Reddit yesterday that made the idea sound more plausible. The main points were: Clark spent 19 years working at UGA, which, with finishing his career there, would line him up well for a nice retirement package. He is also from Georgia apparently. While his wife is from Louisiana, they divorced last year, so add in some personal ties to Georgia and one fewer recently from Louisiana.

That said, you'd have to be a sucker for punishment to take that job!

 

[Puffin]

I wonder if Jay used enquiries from Georgia as a tactic to increase his salary at LSU - his team has been really successful this year and winning nationals was the icing on the cake for a new pay deal.