BATON ROUGE – After leading the Tigers to their first national championship in program history, Head Coach Jay Clark has signed a contract extension with LSU Gymnastics through 2031.
“Jay achieved a new standard of excellence in our gymnastics program with the first team national championship this spring,” said LSU Athletics Director Scott Woodward. “I am pleased he will continue to lead our program and mentor our student-athletes to new heights.”
In only his fourth season as head coach, Clark and the Tigers made history as the first team to bring a championship home to Baton Rouge. LSU finished first in the NCAA Semifinals to secure their spot in finals for the 10th time in school history and second consecutive year under Clark.
The Tigers claimed their first national title on April 20 with their score of 198.225 in the finals to defeat California (197.850), Utah (197.800) and Florida (197.4375). With the win, LSU became just the eighth program in NCAA history to win the women’s gymnastics championship.
A native of Roswell, Georgia, Clark was tabbed as the third head coach in program history in August 2021 following the retirement of former coach D-D Breaux. A 33-year veteran of the sport, he continues to lead the LSU Gymnastics program to new heights.
“This extension and our success is not about one person. This is validating for our entire staff who works hard to do things the right way. We value our relationships with each other and with the student athletes we coach,” said Clark.
“We are blessed to all be here together and to work with the level of student athletes we do. I’m grateful to them, this staff, Athletic Director Scott Woodward, Keli Zinn, President Tate, and the LSU Board for this vote of confidence. This is a special place for student athletes to achieve their dreams, and I’m so fortunate to be a part of this institution! Geaux Tigers!”
Earlier this year, Clark was named the SEC Co-Head Coach of the Year after winning the program’s fifth SEC Championship and the Region One Head Coach of the Year after winning the Fayetteville Regional and bringing home the program’s 14th NCAA regional title.
He was recently named the Top Collegiate Coach in Louisiana by Allstate Sugar Bowl, but his accolades don’t end there. Clark owns multiple Central Region coaching honors, including National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2006, 2014, 2016 and 2017. He is also a member of the USA Gymnastics Region Eight Hall of Fame.
Clark will enter his 14th season overall at LSU next year, having served as the Tigers’ associate head coach for eight seasons and co-head coach for one prior to his stint as head coach. Since beginning his tenure as head coach, Clark owns a record of 74-32-2 in the Purple & Gold and 123-60-4 in his career.
In 2024, the gymnastics program at LSU saw record attendance numbers thanks to Clark’s efforts. The Tigers earned an undefeated home record and welcomed three sold-out crowds, the most in a single season in program history.
To top it off, LSU finished the regular season No. 1 in attendance nationally, averaging over 12,500 fans per meet and marking the highest average in school history and the seventh-straight season with an average of 10,000 or better. A total of over 75,000 Tiger fans showed out to the PMAC across six home meets this year.
It was only the second time in program history that LSU has taken the top spot in the country for attendance.
Clark has had much success on both the recruiting trail and in the gym. He’s regarded as one of the best recruiters in the sport, as highlighted by ESPNU and ESPN The Magazine when he was named the ninth-best recruiter in college athletics in 2011.
During the time since Clark’s arrival, LSU has earned some of their best performances in school history, including eight appearances in the NCAA Championship Finals, numerous school records, 10 NCAA individual national champions, and four SEC Championships.
He is also viewed as one of the top bars coaches in collegiate gymnastics history. Under his supervision, LSU has seen 42 All-America honors on bars, four of the five highest bars team scores in school history and the top two bars title winners in LSU history. LSU’s bars lineup has finished in the top-10 in the nation 11 times, including the No. 1 team in 2018.
In 2024, Clark and the LSU bars squad finished the regular season ranked third in the country and spent 11 weeks ranked in the top five nationally.
As a team, the Tigers marked their highest ever National Qualifying Score (NQS) in program history this year (198.215), marking the first time they’ve surpassed an NQS of 198+.
Clark and the LSU Gymnastics team made history in 2024, but he’s not done yet. The future is brighter than ever as Clark and the Tigers look to make the program’s 33rd overall NCAA Championships appearance and third straight NCAA Finals appearance in 2025.
Stay up to date with all things LSU Gymnastics by following the team’s social media channels @LSUgym on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
LSU Athletic Communications Press Release
