“Does 30 all-around titles really mean anything?” That was the question tossed at LSU head coach Jay Clark before the Tigers faced off against Georgia in March. The target? None other than superstar Haleigh Bryant. Coach Jay Clark didn’t need more than a heartbeat to fire back.
“The all-around has never once been part of the conversation inside our team— that’s something other people talk about, but we don’t,” he said, his tone firm. It wasn’t a dismissal of Bryant’s success but a reminder of the team-first culture around which LSU gymnastics has built its identity. Still, let’s not pretend the resume isn’t jaw-dropping.
Bryant has won 30 all-around—that’s more than any gymnast in LSU history. She holds the highest all-around score ever recorded at the school (a near-perfect 39.925). She’s a four-time SEC Academic Honor Roll honoree. She’s a two-time Honda Award finalist and just the second LSU gymnast ever to win the prestigious honor. And perhaps most important of all? She led the LSU Tigers to something they’d never accomplished before: an NCAA team national championship.
So, yeah—those 30 titles? They mean something. Maybe not in the locker room. Why? Coach Jay Clark is there to maintain the focus of the squad. For him, the top target is the top prize for the team. Well, that’s his motto, and he has been following it throughout. Now, want to know about his background?
Who is Jay Clark?
Before he was the man behind LSU Gymnastics’ historic NCAA title, Jay Clark was just a kid from Roswell, Georgia, with a passion for the sport. Fast forward more than three decades, and he’s now one of the most respected figures in college gymnastics.
Clark’s coaching career began in 1990 when he joined the University of Georgia as an assistant coach. Over the next 22 years, he worked his way up the ladder—earning his stripes and building a reputation as a technical mastermind and recruiting powerhouse. By 2009, he was named head coach of Georgia Gymnastics, leading one of the most storied programs in the NCAA.
In 2012, LSU came calling—and it was the beginning of a new era. Clark joined the Tigers as an assistant head coach, later becoming co-head coach in 2019. Then, in August 2021, following the retirement of legendary coach D-D Breaux, Clark was named just the third head coach in program history. Since taking the reins, he hasn’t looked back.
Meanwhile, under Clark’s leadership, LSU has soared to unprecedented heights—culminating in the program’s first-ever NCAA team national championship. With over 30 years of experience, an unwavering commitment to excellence, and a deep love for the sport, Jay Clark isn’t just coaching a team—he’s building a legacy.
What are Jay Clark’s career highlights and achievements?
In just four seasons at the helm, Jay Clark did what no one in LSU history had ever done—bring a national gymnastics championship home to Baton Rouge. On April 20, 2024, the Tigers etched their name in the history books, posting a 198.225 in the NCAA Championship Finals to secure the program’s first-ever national title. Under Clark’s steady leadership, LSU became just the eighth program to ever win the women’s NCAA gymnastics crown. But Clark’s success wasn’t built overnight.
A master strategist and relentless recruiter, Haleigh Bryant’s coach was named the No. 9 recruiter in all of college athletics by ESPNU and ESPN The Magazine back in 2011. And he’s lived up to that title—transforming LSU into a gymnastics powerhouse. Since his arrival, the Tigers have reached eight NCAA Championship Finals, shattered school records, claimed four SEC Championships, and celebrated 10 NCAA individual national champions. His impact hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Jay Clark was named WCGA Region 1 Coach of the Year in his very first season leading LSU and earned five Central Region Co-Assistant Coach of the Year honors alongside former assistant Bob Moore.
Before LSU, Clark spent two decades at Georgia, where he built a legacy coaching bars. There, he developed 64 All-Americans, coached seven NCAA individual champions, and mentored legends like Courtney Kupets and Kat Ding. During his time with the Gym Dogs, Georgia claimed seven NCAA team titles and 14 SEC championships. Ultimately, from building champions at Georgia to making history at LSU, Jay Clark has proven he’s more than a coach—he’s a program builder, a motivator, and a visionary driving the next era of collegiate gymnastics.
What are Haleigh Bryant’s notable achievements under Coach Jay Clark?
When the lights were brightest and the stakes the highest, Haleigh Bryant delivered a performance for the ages. At the 2024 NCAA Championships, she didn’t just help LSU win its first-ever team national title—she soared to the top of the podium herself, capturing the individual all-around crown in a moment that sealed her legacy. But Bryant’s journey to greatness began long before that historic night.
Back in 2021, as just a sophomore, Haleigh stunned the gymnastics world by claiming the NCAA Vault Championship, showcasing power, precision, and poise beyond her years.
Then came February 2024—a milestone moment not just for Bryant but for LSU history. With grace on beam, fire on floor, finesse on bars, and explosive strength on vault, she became the first LSU gymnast ever—and just the 14th in NCAA history—to score perfect 10s on all four apparatuses. A rare feat known as the Gym Slam. In the end, each title. Every perfect 10. All of it built toward a season where Bryant didn’t just compete under the tutelage of coach Jay Clark—she made history.
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