Courtney Kupets Carter out as Georgia gymnastics coach
Georgia Athletics announced a change in leadership to its gymnastics program on Friday afternoon. After seven seasons as the head coach, Courtney Kupets Carter will not return for an eighth in Athens.
Kupets Carter competed as a student athlete at Georgia, putting together one of the most illustrious careers in NCAA gymnastics history. She was the first gymnast to win individual championships on all four events and the all-around title, while winning nine NCAA individual titles and earning an impressive 15 All-America distinctions. Georgia captured four team national titles during her time as an athlete.
During her tenure as a head coach, the GymDogs couldn’t quite reach the same levels of success. Georgia has not made an appearance in the Super Six since 2016, making just a pair of NCAA Regional appearances in 2018 and 2019. UGA did qualify for the NCAA Tournament each season under Kupets Carter’s direction however with seven student-athletes earning a total of 22 All-America honors and 14 being named to the All-SEC team.
“We want to thank Courtney for her leadership of our gymnastics program over the past seven seasons,” Georgia athletics director Josh Brooks said. “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.”
The statement shares that a “national search for Georgia’s next head coach will begin immediately.” Under Brooks’ direction, the Bulldogs have hired new head coaches for sports including baseball, basketball (men’s and women’s) swim and dive (men’s and women’s), tennis (men’s and women’s), soccer, track and field (men’s and women’s) with gymnastics soon to join.
Georgia’s next gymnastics head coach will be its ninth, following in the footsteps of Melinda Airhart (1973-76), Andy Long (1976-79), Terri Parsons Richie (1979-81), Rick Walton (1981-83), Suzanne Yoculan (1983-2009), Jay Clay (2009-12), Danna Durante (2012-17) and Kupets Carter (2017-24).
