Georgia gymnastics coach Courtney Kupets Carter fired after seven seasons

Georgia gymnastics coach Courtney Kupets Carter was fired Friday after seven seasons in which the program dipped further from the heights of when she starred as a former Olympian.

The move comes after Georgia failed to qualify for the NCAA Championships meet, finishing narrowly in third in the second round in Gainesville and missing out on the regional final.

The team hasn’t reached the NCAA Championships since 2019 when it finished eighth a season after taking seventh place.

The Gym Dogs finished last of eight teams at the SEC Championships last month for the third year in a row.

"We want to thank Courtney for her leadership of our gymnastics program over the past seven seasons," athletic director Josh Brooks said in a statement Friday evening. "These are always difficult decisions, but this one was especially tough because of what Courtney and her family mean to the University of Georgia. She is among the greatest Bulldog student-athletes of all time, and her many accomplishments and accolades will be remembered for years to come. At this time, we feel it is in the best interest of our gymnastics program to make a change in leadership as we pursue SEC and national championships."

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Georgia went 1-6 in SEC dual meets for the third straight season despite bringing in the nation’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class. The team was ranked No. 20 heading into the regionals.

Kupets Carter had a year left on her contract that paid her $207,000 annually.

The next coach’s top task could be retaining SEC freshman of the year and All-American Lily Smith who competed in the all-around in the NCAA championships. Georgia was a young team with 22 of 24 routines at the SEC championship coming from freshmen and sophomores.

The team lost a top returner, Haley de Jong, before the season to a knee injury. Georgia has the nation's No. 16 ranked recruiting class for 2024, according to College Gym News.

Georgia hired Kupets Carter, a nine-time NCAA individual champion from 2006-09, in hopes of bringing the program closer to its glory days under legendary coach Suzanne Yoculan who won 10 national championships as coach until retiring in 2009. Her last four came with Kupets Carter as a key part of the team.

Georgia hasn’t won one since.

Kupets Carter replaced Danna Durante who finished nationally as high as fifth once and sixth twice in her five seasons.

Yoculan spent two seasons on Kupets Carter staff as a volunteer coach after she was hired in 2017 to help Kupets-Carter, a 2004 U.S. Olympian who won a bronze medal on the uneven bars. Kupets Carter was a first time college coach who at the time was teaching at Oconee Gymnastics Club and doing TV work for the SEC Network.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: After seven seasons, UGA gymnastics coach Courtney Kupets Carter fired