Utah State Gymnastics Coach Amy Smith Leaves For Same Job At Clemson
Apr 26, 2022, 9:29 AM | Updated: 9:36 am
Utah State University competes against the University of Utah, Brigham Young University and Southern Utah University in the Rio Tinto Best of Utah NCAA gymnastics meet at the Maverik Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. Utah won. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
LOGAN, Utah – Utah State gymnastics announced on Tuesday that head coach Amy Smith has left the Aggies’ program to take the same position at the Clemson.
After leading Utah State to its first conference title in 17 years, Amy Smith is heading to Clemson to lead their gymnastics program.
“First and foremost, I need to thank the student-athletes and their families that bought into our vision for Utah State Gymnastics, and helped us develop the culture here,” Smith said. “I would also like to give a special thanks to The HURD and everyone in Cache Valley that has supported the gymnastics program. Lastly, I would also like to thank the Utah State administration for the amazing opportunity they allotted me over the last five years to build this program into something very special. Thank you, Aggie Nation.”
Utah State finished the 2022 season with a 15-11 overall record and their first-ever MRGC title.
Thank you @amysmith314!
We wish you the best of luck at @ClemsonGym.
đź”— https://t.co/aqGSAVrnIi pic.twitter.com/A2Y6TxTkov
— USU Gymnastics (@USUGymnastics) April 26, 2022
Smith is the first head coach of Clemson gymnastics in program history. The university announced on June 17, 2021 that they will be adding gymnastics and women’s lacrosse. Gymnastics will begin competing in the 2023-24 academic year.
“We want to thank Amy Smith for leading our gymnastics program the last five years, which included NCAA bids in 2021 and 2022, and a conference championship this year,” said Utah State Vice President and Director of Athletics John Hartwell. “We wish her well as she starts the gymnastics program at Clemson.
“We have already begun a national search to find our next head coach, and will move as quickly and efficiently as we can to identify the best available candidate to lead our program to continued success.”
Smith spent five seasons with the Aggies and is the fourth head coach in the history of the program. She started her coaching career in 1997-98 as the undergraduate assistant coach for UCLA. Then she was the choreographer at Kentucky (2003-05) and Florida (2002-06). Smith was an assistant coach at Missouri (2007-11), UCLA (2011-12), North Carolina (2012-13) and associate head coach for the Tar Heels from 2014-17 before taking the head job at Utah State.
