Kara Eaker, from University of Utah to Georgia

[RedBirdie]

I'm so happy for her.

 

[rlayt]

Athens is only a 15 minute drive from Georgia Elite. Anyone in Georgia would be happy to have a Landi on staff. If Laurent is looking.

 

[makam]

Athens is only a 15 minute drive from Georgia Elite. Anyone in Georgia would be happy to have a Landi on staff. If Laurent is looking.

I'm going to guess they are going to go slow with this. Georgia seems to have a habit of tossing coaches who don't perform miracles.

 

[Laura722]

 

[makam]

Well that leo is...something. Good luck to her and I hope she has a happier time than that horror show at Utah.

 

[lovegymnasts]

Well that leo is...something. Good luck to her and I hope she has a happier time than that horror show at Utah.

My thoughts to a tee

 

[ugadawgkat]

I'm going to guess they are going to go slow with this. Georgia seems to have a habit of tossing coaches who don't perform miracles.

I think the only coach they 'tossed' that they should have kept was Clark. Both Durante and Kupets' teams were not performing well when they were let go. It was definitely time to move on from both of them. Its not asking for a miracle to maintain some semblance of what the program has been. Would one say Utah's coaches are performing miracles since the Marsdens left? Or UCLA since Kondos-Fields left? Or even BAMA since Duckworth left? All three of these teams have continued to perform well, maybe not winning championships but definitely looking way better than Georgia has in the past few years.

People can poo poo this next comment but I see a 'miracle' coming for Georgia this next year. By a miracle I mean they will be a top 10 team at the end of the 2025 season and most likely make the final 8 at nationals. They've got a ton of talent now and some new head coaches who obviously know how to manage talent.

 

[irichluck21]

Arkansas and Stanford made it to Nationals last year so we know anything can happen on any give day.

 

[rlayt]

How many years was Kupets there? People were saying three years ago she should go. I hope they give Cecile the same 7-8 years they gave Kupets.

 

[MaryClare]

I think the only coach they 'tossed' that they should have kept was Clark. Both Durante and Kupets' teams were not performing well when they were let go. It was definitely time to move on from both of them. Its not asking for a miracle to maintain some semblance of what the program has been. Would one say Utah's coaches are performing miracles since the Marsdens left? Or UCLA since Kondos-Fields left? Or even BAMA since Duckworth left? All three of these teams have continued to perform well, maybe not winning championships but definitely looking way better than Georgia has in the past few years.

People can poo poo this next comment but I see a 'miracle' coming for Georgia this next year. By a miracle I mean they will be a top 10 team at the end of the 2025 season and most likely make the final 8 at nationals. They've got a ton of talent now and some new head coaches who obviously know how to manage talent.

It’s not 2006 anymore, there are so many more top schools now.

 

[makam]

It’s not 2006 anymore, there are so many more top schools now.

Yeah this. It is one thing to be at the top when competition is light, but not getting a team back to the top during a time of historically high competiveness, it isn't that much of a failure to not beat the odds.

Maybe Cecile will have better luck with recruitment as her fame is more contemporary than Kupets' but if you can’t get good recruits, you can't compete with the best. And while I think Landi can coach and bring about improvement in her gymnasts, only time will tell if she can get the right mix of talent, personality, and game day steadiness to make a competitive team. (And I only recently started following ncaa but I have a vague impression that the gymnastics team was very religious? Or am I mistaking them for another school?)

If Georgia goes back into the top 10, which college falls down to 11? It is quite crowded up there.

 

[Hatsumomo]

(And I only recently started following ncaa but I have a vague impression that the gymnastics team was very religious? Or am I mistaking them for another school?)

Back in Kupets' heyday on the team, UGA was a very religious team. I don't know about now, though.

 

[CameliasFingerpaint]

I am kind of curious to see how she handles being in Georgia given how she has been outspoken on her political views on a couple of occasions. Suburban Houston is one thing, but the Deep South is a whole different level of conservative.

 

[rlayt]

Even just looking at the elections I think Georgia is more progressive than a lot of the south. Plus Athens is a college town.

 

[irichluck21]

In 4 years we have seen two new schools win a National Championship.
2021 Michigan
2024 LSU

Multiple others have been near the top. Michigan State won Big Tens but didn't make Nationals for example. Cal made the Final Four on the Floor. Auburn was 4th in 2022, Missouri was 5th in 2022 and Minnesota 6th in 2022, Kentucky was 6th in 2023. Stanford was unseeded in 2024. There is greater depth in NCAA gymnastics.

Definitely is different than 2005, when Georgia counted several falls on beam and still made it to Nationals. Meanwhile Michigan counted a fall this year and Penn State knocked them out.

Makes it exciting and unpredictable.

 

[BB12]

If Georgia goes back into the top 10, which college falls down to 11? It is quite crowded up there.

Plus all the other strong program who finishing outside the top 10 - MSU, Michigan, UCLA. Even Ohio State who have been doing some great things. Very crowed with a lot of strong programs.

Not going to be easy for any program to jump into that top group.

 

[cuuf]

Georgia will not have any problem attracting talent. Having Cecile will not make too much of a difference in that regard. Maybe the mix of talent might change, but Georgia as an SEC school, well-funded, with history has always attracted talent. The question of success is how she will adapt to 1 coaching in college and 2 splitting coaching responsibilities. NCAA is a team sport, much different than elite, and there is strategy in line-ups and team chemistry. Probably most important is team chemistry, and we have no ideal what that team culture is going to be like until she has had some time in the program working with Ryan. It will be fun to watch how they do, I don't think its crazy to say they could make nationals but they could also take a step back this year or show only marginal signs of improvement.

 

[irichluck21]

WCC has athletes that are not elite as well. They have several level 10s whose goal was NCAA. Cecile knows level 10, NCAA rules are mostly level 10 with some alterations. I think the step from elite to level 10 won't be an issue. Various club coaches have moved into NCAA and have been extremely successful.

 

[cuuf]

WCC has athletes that are not elite as well. They have several level 10s whose goal was NCAA. Cecile knows level 10, NCAA rules are mostly level 10 with some alterations. I think the step from elite to level 10 won't be an issue. Various club coaches have moved into NCAA and have been extremely successful.

And that's what makes it fun to talk about, because we just don't know. Only time will tell, for every point that I can make that could lead to a negative outcome, you or others can provide an equal counter for the positive that is completely reasonable.

One thing for sure is that NCAA is going to be changing soon with roster limits and revenue sharing. How different coaches and admin handle that will contribute to future success.

 

[irichluck21]

So what do we envision for Eaker at Georgia?
Just a beam specialist or will she do more events or even the AA?
She did beam and floor as a sophomore.
She did beam and floor as a freshman until she got injured and then just returned for beam.
We know she was training 1.5TY and also bars.

I am curious as what Roberts and Landi will do with her. She would be a good lead off on floor and I can see a clean bars as well, though Georgia's best event last season was unquestionably uneven bars.

A clean 1.5TY would also make the line up. Vault was UGA's weakest apparatus.